JAMES POTTER and the Triwizard Champion
by Tamilda
Summary: 2nd Generation. It has returned and the stakes are higher than ever. James's past mistakes have returned to haunt him. Meanwhile, Albus doesn't approve of Rose's new crush and Lily has to grow up and make some big decisions. No one will see it coming...
1. A Normal Year

**Author's Note:  
This story is a sequel to James Potter and The Road To No Promises. It is NOT required to read the first story, everything will be explained. HOWEVER, it is a good story and I promise you'll like it, and it's RECOMMENDED that you read it first. Go to my profile OR  
**fanfiction .net/s/5571804/1/JAMES_POTTER_and_the_Road_To_No_Promises

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 1. A Normal Year_  
**

12 years old, and never a day older. Lily Luna Potter giggled as she ran through the crowd milling about platform 9 ¾. Her tangle of red curls flew out behind her as her legs pumped beneath her. Wind played across her pinked cheeks and her green eyes sparkled with the thrill of the escape.

"Lily!" Her mother, Ginny, yelled after her, "Get back here!"

"Worrywart." Lily muttered to herself as she dodged a familiar group of people.

"Lily?" Marina Finnegan asked in confusion, turning to look after the girl-shaped blur as Lily rushed past the family. Marina had one hand on her husband, Seamus Finnegan's, arm and her other arm held a two-year-old girl to her hip. Two younger children, a 7 year-old-boy and his twin sister, clung to the legs of their older sister, 7th year Fiona Finnegan. Fiona Finnegan had recently turned 17 years old. Her hair was sandy brown and straighter than a pin, today it was pulled back into a messy bun at the back of her head. Her laughter-filled brown eyes were set in her thin face, framed by long lashes. The Finnegans were a family of five kids, and they all loved to travel. Every summer they would take various treks across the world. However, the past summer Fiona had insisted on spending a majority of the summer in England in order to spend more time with her boyfriend, James Potter.

"You'd better get on the train." Seamus said, leaning forward to give his daughter a hug. Fiona hugged her father and kissed her mother on the cheek. She then bent a bit to tickle the toddler's tummy.

"Bye bye, Alannah." She cooed at the girl. Alannah smiled at her. Fiona got on her knees and wrapped the twins in her arms. "Bye, Thomas. Bye, Kayleigh." She gave them each a peck on the cheek.

"Stop it!" Thomas complained, rubbing his face with his sleeve.

"I will see you for Christmas." Fiona laughed, stepping back. With one last wave at her family she stepped aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Lily continued to run from her mother's fussing. However, she didn't make it far after the Finnegans before running into a small girl. Both girls went tumbling to the ground.

"Sorry, sorry." Lily apologized quickly, spinning on her butt to see the small girl put a hand on her head. The girl was tiny, a head shorter than Lily, and her dull black hair was braided down her back, tied with a big blue ribbon. "Ella?" Lily asked in disbelief. The little girl blinked and smiled.

"Should have known it was you." She said in her clear, childish voice. Ella Zellit and Lily had become best friends over the previous year. They had met on the train to Hogwarts, both lonely first years. However, that year Ella had recently lost her mother and did not speak for a majority of the school year. She had been white as a ghost and as cheerless as a ghoul, her eyes had been flat, her hair had been stringy and without much color. Now, thought her skin was still pale and wax-like, Ella looked healthier. She smiled and spoke, her gray eyes reflecting her emotions. Lily stood and grabbed her friend in a hug.

"How was your summer?" She asked.

"Uneventful." Ella answered with a shrug, "Yours?"

Before Lily could answer they heard Ginny's voice ring through the crowd, "Lily Potter, get over here or so help me…"

"Run!" Lily whispered enthusiastically, grabbing Ella by the hand and dragging her along with her.

On the train, Fiona Finnegan had settled down in a compartment with Albus Potter and Rose Weasley. Rose and Albus were, as per usual, arguing over something insignificant. Though the two were opposite as night and day they were best friends. Albus was a thinker; he'd sit on an idea for days on end, muttering to himself as he contemplated. Rose, on the other hand, was a person of action. She was the one who made the pair's ideas come to life. They got on surprisingly well, they'd complete each other's plans and even, on occasion, their sentences. During the last leg of their Third Year they had accidentally set the school on fire, endangering the lives of many students. After that, their relationship had been strained through the summer months. Slowly, yet surely, their friendship had begun to mend. Fiona couldn't help but notice that even though she was still in her muggle clothes, Rose had her Quidditch Captain badge pinned to her chest.

"Hey, fourth years." Fiona greeted them with a smile. Before they could answer, another 7th year girl walked into the compartment. Amelia Keen (or Millie, as she was known) was a shy muggle-born girl that James and Fiona had recently befriended. Millie stood a couple centimeters taller than Fiona, she had lightly tanned skin and her face was still sprinkled with freckles left over from her summer in the desert. She had her wavy blond hair cut to chin length and was usually held back by an extravagant headband. Her eyes were a soft gray, her face was pretty but plain, her eyebrows didn't curve and her eyelashes were nearly nonexistent, her cheekbones were high but it made her eyes look rather sunken in. Millie's parents were both muggle paleontologists, she didn't see much of them. She often seemed lonely, but had recently proved herself to be loyal beyond question. And though she didn't get much attention from her parents, she loved being with her friends. Millie had originally been sent to fancy boarding schools and her parents, who didn't know that Millie was a witch, thought she was currently at the most elite school in Britain. Which, in a way, she was.

"Hello." She greeted the compartment at large, sitting down next to Rose.

"Millie!" Fiona said in surprise, "How was your summer?"

"Same old, same old. Though I did see a Brontosaurus tooth."

"Interesting." Albus muttered, causing his cousin to slap his arm.

"I got you all gifts from the dig in Texas." Millie informed them, "And Lily and Ella. I got something for Demi, too. And James." She looked around the compartment as though expecting to see someone hiding in the corners. "Speaking of which, Fiona, where's your boyfriend?"

Her boyfriend, in fact, was at that moment trying desperately to get on the train. However, he found himself unable to move as his father clutched his shoulder in his vice-like grip. Harry and James Potter looked more like brothers than they did father and son. They had the same unruly black hair and green eyes. Their faces were nearly identical. James was just a bit shorter than his dad, and Harry wore his round, black-wired glasses while James had no need of enhancing his vision. James followed in his father's footsteps by being the top of his Defense Against The Dark Arts class. James was also handy at Potions and Alchemy, but often needed Fiona's help with his Charms homework. He was even a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Though he had been at first disheartened to learn that the role of Quidditch Captain was going to his younger, female cousin, he accepted it gracefully and was looking forward to having Rose Weasley lead the team to victory.

"Da, stop fussing." James pleaded, looking longingly at the train entrance.

"Fiona's waited this long for you, she can stand another couple of minutes." Harry answered sternly, causing James to bite his lip.

His father was referring to their "history". James and Fiona had been thrown together on play dates when they were younger. They had gotten along well but never saw each other much. When they both went to Hogwarts they reconnected and were instant best friends. The friendship lasted year after year and trial after trial. Until the previous year when Fiona started drifting, keeping secrets, and dating the school bad boy: Landon Longbottom. James had stayed furious with her for several months until that spring, when they had made up. It wasn't until the night the school caught on fire that the two became a couple. They'd spent the summer building a tentative romance, though everyone said they were a match made in heaven.

"It's your N.E.W.T year. I don't want to hear of _any _goofing off. Be good." He said seriously.

"Always am."

"This time I don't care if you don't get caught. I don't want you to risk it."

"Da? Are you okay?" James asked nervously, spying his father's now-white knuckles.

"I just want you to make it a normal year at Hogwarts." Harry ordered stiffly.

"Of course." James frowned. Ginny walked up to the two in a huff, putting her hands on her hips and planting her feet, her eyes narrowed at her oldest son.

"I can't find Lily, tell her I say goodbye and to stay out of trouble." She complained.

"Yes, Mum." James smiled slightly, turning toward her, Harry finally released his grip on his son's shoulder.

"And you watch after her, James!" She ordered before pointing at the train, "Now, go."

"Yes, Mum." James repeated, thankfully stepping onto the train.

"Be good!" Ginny shouted after him. James shook his head as he walked down the train, peeking in the compartment windows, looking for his friends. He passed by one compartment that was full of people, as he walked by it a girl with golden blond hair looked up and saw him. Their eyes held for a fraction of a second before the girl looked down again, chewing her thin bottom lip. The girl next to her saw the distress and looked at the window for the cause. Upon seeing James she waved enthusiastically, he waved back half-heartedly.

Amy Vane and Demi Case were both on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Amy Vane was a sixth year, her sleek yellow hair was neat and her eyes were heavenly blue. She shared James's love of Alchemy, and for a time the previous year she had replaced Fiona as his best friend. Amy had taken advantage of his confusion and was not very fond of Fiona. When James and Fiona made up again, Amy made him choose, and was hurt by the decision.

Demi Case was a fifth year and a Quidditch Prodigy. She was a Seeker who loved to get down and dirty. Her chocolate brown hair was always braided and twisted to keep out of her face. Her green, almost yellow, eyes were narrow and could be chilling in a combat Quidditch match. She was one of Amy's best friends, and one of James's too. Demi never let herself get caught up in drama, she liked who _she _liked and could not be swayed by others' opinions.

James found his friends just before the train started to lurch forward. Albus, Rose, Millie, and Fiona were all still there, and they had been joined by Lily and Ella, both of whom were still breathless from running around the platform. James took his seat next to Fiona and took her hand in his automatically. Rose was sketching something on a piece of parchment.

"Homework already, Rose?" James asked, leaning forward.

"Impossible." Rose answered simply, "However, as Quidditch Captain, I am making some plans for this year."

"Tryouts?" Albus asked, tilting his head to the side to read over her shoulder.

"Yes." Rose clutched the piece of paper to her chest, "E.G and Ace both left so we're down two players. We need a new Beater and a new Keeper. Feel like trying out, Lily?"

"I like watching better." Lily answered, swinging her legs back and forth. Rose slid her eyes to Ella and, before she could even ask, the smaller girl shook her head vigorously.

"What about Millie?" James asked, all heads turned to Millie. Her only response was to laugh.

"Uh-uh." She insisted after the laughter had died down.

"Suit yourself." Rose shrugged as she returned to her plans, smiling wickedly.

"I don't like that look." James said nervously. The compartment door slid open and Demi walked in. Her face was slack and her eyes were bored.

"Please tell me you're having fun in here." She begged, collapsing next to Millie.

"Why?" Fiona asked. Demi looked up and met James's eyes, something in her expression made him quickly look away.

"I was telling about my summer, but now Amy won't listen to me. And if she won't, no one will."

"Why won't she listen?" Albus asked, leaning across Rose before anyone could ask about Demi's summer.

"Well, she _was_." Demi said, "But then she got a look at James and went all depressed." She waited until James met her eyes again, "I'd ignore her. Because if you don't, I don't think she'll ever get over you."

* * *

**Today was my first day back at school so...here you go. **

**I know this chapter's boring, it's mostly review and introducing characters blah blah blah. Things will pick up shortly.**

**REVIEW!**

**l  
V  
**


	2. Deserving

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 2. Deserving_  
**

"Where's Michelle?" Demi asked some time later, "I thought she'd be here." Rose and Albus were whispering over a few sheets of parchment, Millie was absorbed in a book, Lily and Ella were exchanging summer stories (Lily more so than Ella). James had been making mild conversation with Demi and Fiona had been staring out the window motionlessly for the better part of an hour. James glanced at her nervously, seeing her eyes unfocused and feeling her hand limp in his. It wasn't like Fiona to be distant, she was outspoken and her eyes were always vibrant. In the back of his mind, James feared that the thought of Amy had hurt her feelings. Thinking of Amy didn't make _him_ feel like such a good person, either.

"Fiona?" James asked, nudging her side with his arm. Slowly, Fiona turned her head back to the group.

"Where's Michelle?" Demi repeated.

Michelle Thomas was the daughter of Fiona's father's best friend Dean Thomas. Her mother died when she was very small and her father tried very hard to raise her on his own, but he often found it hard and enlisted his old friend and his family for help. Michelle would stay over at the Finnegan's whenever her father went out of town or needed the house, or even if she needed to get away for a couple of days she would go straight to the Finnegan's where everyone knew she would be safe. As a result, the two grew up more like sisters than anything else, and they acted like it too. Most people would have a friend in that situation that they would never leave their side, but Fiona and Michelle seemed just too close for that. They moved around differently, talked differently, hung out with different people but at the same time the two girls were one. No one could describe it except that they were so comfortable together that they could get sick of each other, just like real sisters would. Michelle's skin was smooth brown and her perfectly curled hair was deep black. Michelle spent her time with many different groups, so it wasn't really surprising that she wasn't there.

"Didn't you hear? She's a prefect!" Fiona said, widening her eyes.

"_Our_ Michelle?" Demi asked in surprise, "Our lovably flirty Michelle?"

"That's the one. Her and Kip Maroe are the new Gryffindor prefects since Felicia and E.G left last year."

"I don't think I know Kip."

"He's a 7th year too." James, who had shared the same dormitory as Kip since they were first years, said. "He's not so bad. Not much of a sense of humor, but what can you do?"

"I would have thought that if any of you would become a prefect, it would have been Millie." Rose said. All eyes turned back to Millie, who looked at Rose with surprise.

"I can't enforce the rules!" She insisted weakly. Millie The Meek had problems with confrontation, she feared she wouldn't be taken seriously as a prefect. And until last year, everyone would have agreed with her. However, as a sixth year Millie had become willful enough to start speaking her mind. Harry Potter always told his children that it took courage to stand up to your enemies, but even greater courage to stand up to your friends. Which is exactly what Millie had done in the midst of Fiona-James drama. She said things she promised to keep secret and she admitted to it, feeling it was for the greater good.

"Don't be like that, you would have made an excellent prefect." James insisted.

"I'd like to be a prefect." Albus said thoughtfully.

"I think you ruined your chances when you burned down the school. And mine too, for that matter." Rose informed him crisply.

* * *

The group sat together when they finally reached the Great Hall for the opening feast.

"I can't wait to see the sorting from this point of view." Lily said excitedly, bracing her knuckles on the table and leaning forward to see the front better.

"It's not very interesting from over here." Rose warned her.

"And we're too hungry to care." Albus held a hand over his stomach for emphasis. His cousin gave him a shot in the arm. "What?" He complained, "I'm starving!" As they continued to banter, James's eyes strayed down the table to where he saw the back of Amy's head. She was turned to the front, listening the the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall greet the first years. But as the Deputy Headmaster, Professor Alvie, came forward with the stool and sorting hat, he saw Amy turn her head as someone across the table demanded her attention. She leaned forward slightly, tilting her head slightly to hear what her companion had to say. James unconsciously leaned forward, trying to see who Amy was talking to. He leaned forward and looked down the table and saw a tall, pale boy. He regarded Amy out of large, dark eyes and smiled lightly with thin lips. His dirty blond hair was just long enough to be cool, but short enough so it wasn't shaggy. Landon Longbottom. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable he leaned back and looked forward to see that Demi was sitting across the table from him.

"Demi." He whispered. Demi looked at him, everyone else seemed not to hear, though Fiona was listening intently. "Have Landon and Amy been part of the same group for long?"

"Since the fire last year." Demi answered quietly, glancing down the table where her other friends were sitting, "He was in our compartment, didn't you see?" James had been too disappointed that Amy couldn't look at him to notice much of who else was sitting with her. To him, she was still sitting with the faceless, nameless crowd that always surrounded her. Sure, he'd been a part of that group for a couple of months the previous year, but he'd never learned anything about his 'friends'. He couldn't even name most of them. Disappointed again, James thought about how Fiona had spent those weeks. She'd been learning about someone, she'd been making plans while James just dilly-dallyed along, pretending to fit in. What a waste of time.

"No. I wasn't looking for him." James said finally.

"Are you looking for him now?" James didn't answer. The sorting was as uneventful as promised, since they knew none of the incoming first years they had nothing to look forward to, and weren't paying attention a good portion of the time. Petty talk continued as they began to eat. Fiona didn't say anything to James about his hushed conversation with Demi, for now. She couldn't help but wonder about his sudden re-interest in who Amy spent time with, Amy wasn't in the picture any more, was she? Though Fiona, too, had also felt the strangest thing when hearing that Amy and Landon were now running in the same circles. She wasn't sure she wanted a sociable Landon. She'd sorely miss the serious, mysterious, cool, leaning-on-things Landon that she had fallen head-over-heels for the year before. But then again, she didn't care, did she? It didn't matter anymore.

"Now that you're all sorted and fed." Professor McGonagall said, rising from her seat and making her way to the podium, "I have a few announcements to make." The hall fell silent as the students watched their elder respectfully, "The first, is to remind you all that the Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds to all students. Also, due to recent events, we have decided that any students who wish to create their own spells should consult with a teacher before attempting _anything_. Spells that aren't tested are dangerous, as you all now know." Albus and Rose looked at each other sheepishly. "Finally, I'd like to call attention to anyone who has ever heard of the Triwizard Tournament."

"_What_?" Lily shrieked, jumping up instantly and standing on the bench in an attempt to see over all the heads in front of her. Everyone turned to look at the second year for a split second before returning attention to the Headmistress, who was chuckling.

"Thank you, Ms. Potter. I was, however, speaking figuratively. You may take your seat." Slowly, Lily lowered herself down to her seat, her eyes never leaving McGonagall. "For others of you, the Triwizard Tournament is a tradition that has long since died. Two other schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, have competed with us in a series of three tasks. We recently tried to resurrect this contest, but the results were out of our control and disastrous. Additional safety measures have been added and we are glad to inform you that we can once again bring the Tournament back this year. The other schools will be arriving in a week. I know that most of you already know a lot about it so I won't waste time. There will be three champions picked by an impartial judge, no secrets there. This year, we insist that only those completed with their O.W.L year may submit to compete, which is reasonable. The Champion will not have an easy journey, whether they win or not. We suggest that you do some research and make an educated decision before submitting. Now, normally the host school would alternate schools. But since Durmstrang has just undergone a major leadership change, they were unable to host and Beauxbatons did not have the necessary Grounds Requirements. We expect you to all be on your best behavior." She stared down the entire student body, "Another change is that normally, there would be no competition for the Quidditch Cup."

"They can't do that!" Rose complained as similar shouts and boos were heard from around the hall. McGonagall raised her hand to silence them.

"I said _normally._ This year we have decided that Quidditch should not suffer. For those of you who are uninvolved, this will be more or less a normal year." James's eyebrows drew together, remembering his father's lecture. "Additional information is posted around the school, and if you have any questions you may ask any of the teachers. But I think that, for now, I will let you go to bed."

* * *

Several students didn't go to bed. They stayed up in the common room as the fire slowly began to die.

"I don't get it, what's the big deal?" Millie asked, she was sitting on the couch between Michelle and Demi, Rose perched on the couch arm. James and Fiona had squeezed into one of the good armchairs, Albus sat in the other. Ella was cross-legged on the floor, leaning her back against Millie's legs. Lily stood with her back to the fire, facing her friends and family with her hands on her hips, her expression torn and several of her favorite Harry Potter biographies at her feet.

"The Triwizard Tournament was originally a fun way for the three largest schools in Europe to test their skills against each other. But back then the safety wasn't that great and they had to stop because the death toll got so high. Not too long ago they tried starting it up again. It's in all of the biographies because Dad was a champion. Well, technically, he wasn't old enough and he was entered under his own school so on so forth. Major fluke. Anyway, everything went more or less okay until the third task where a death eater turned the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey that transported the two Hogwarts champion away. One of the Champions, Cedric Diggory, didn't make it back alive. And the Tournament of Death continues."

"So you think it should be permanently discontinued?" James asked, fishing for answers.

"Not at all!" Lily insisted, holding her hands out in front of her, "Last time would have worked out great and no one would have died if it wasn't for Voldemort. So there's really no reason for them _not_ to try it again."

"_I _thought it sounded exciting." Fiona said.

"Yeah." James agreed.

"We should all put our names in!" Michelle chimed in excitedly, "Including you, Millie." She added, poking her disgruntled friend in the side.

"But-" She started.

"You know you want to!" Michelle said in a sing-song voice. Finally, Millie smiled minutely.

"Atta girl!" Fiona cheered.

"I wish I was a year older." Demi complained, only just starting her O.W.L year.

"You'd have been a great Champion." Rose assured her.

"So would you."

"What about the Lovegoods?" Fiona asked, "They're Sixth Years now."

"Hard to see them competing for anything." James said. The Lovegood twins, Andrea and Ambrose, were essentially the same person. They had the same thoughts, personalities, and friends. They had the same short, curly blond hair and misty gray eyes, pale skin, and freckles. They both had a birthmark on the outside of their right eyebrows. Since they were so similar, they found it hard to be around each other for too long. Not that they bugged each other, they got along in their permanent dreamy-states quite well, but there was too much Lovegood proximity, which wouldn't be good for anyone around them. 'Too much crazy for one sitting' James had called it. Luna Lovegood, a magazine editor had an increasingly long relationship with her on-again off-again fiancee, the investigative reporter for the _Daily Prophet_ Jerry Appleton. They're relationship was always there but constantly changing in status. Even though they'd been engaged several times, they could never follow through with the commitment, much to the disappointment of their friends. When the twins were 5 years old they had been allowed to choose their own last names: Lovegood or Appleton. The twins chose Lovegood and the rest was history.

"I could see it." Michelle commented.

"Me too. They're certainly smart enough." Albus said.

"Until they sleep through the tasks, they're so scatterbrained, it's a wonder they remember anything." James argued.

"There's no harm in putting a name in." Lily had stacked her Harry Potter biographies into a tower that was as tall as her knees and was now sitting on them.

"Unless it gets picked." Fiona pointed out, "But I think it'd be fun." Her eyes narrowed as she watched Lily yawn. "I think it's time for bed." She said decisively, standing up, "Come on, it's late and we've got a long day tomorrow." Everyone grumbled or nodded as they stood and headed for their respective dormitories. Before Fiona could make it up the stairs she was stopped as she felt a tug on her sleeve. Surprised, Fiona turned around to see that only she and Ella remained in the common room. Ella was looking up at the 7th year seriously.

"I think _you_ should be the Triwizard Champion." The little girl said. Fiona was taken aback, needing a moment to recover from the shock. And before Fiona could say even a 'Thank you' Ella had disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

**I don't think you've seen my spiffed out Arrow yet!**

**Ta-Da!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	3. Seating Chart

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 3. Seating Chart_ **

Rose was going to _kill_ Albus.

Somehow, he'd managed to talk her into taking Ancient Runes. And somehow he'd managed to drop the class at the last minute in favor of Ghoul Studies. So Rose Weasley sat seething in the back of the class as Professor Clay sat the students in alphabetical order by first name. The tables were set up so that two students sat at each table and there was a good two feet between that table and the next. Rose was sitting at the middle table in the back row, seeing as 'R' was nearing the last leg of the alphabet. After she had taken her seat, Professor Clay sent a fellow fourth year boy to sit next to her. He was familiar, the two had always been year mates. He sat down next to her shyly, his dark eyes sneaking glances at her nervously. His pale blond hair was slicked back and his ears (Rose thought) looked large as they stuck out from his head. The boy was pale and Rose couldn't recall him ever speaking a word, to her or anyone. His robes had a Slytherin patch sewn onto it. Scorpius Malfoy fetched his book from his bag and set it on the table, waiting for the class to begin, but Professor Clay was distracted by a student asking a question about the course. Around them there was a constant low level of chatter as the students talked to each other. Rose and Scorpius looked away from each other awkwardly.

"I'm surprised Albus isn't here." Scorpius said finally. Rose blew out a sigh of annoyance.

"Believe me, so am I." She _had_ to talk to Professor Malkun to get switched out of the class.

"Then, where is he at?" Scorpius continued in an attempt to start a conversation. Rose couldn't understand his intentions, they'd never spoken a word to each other before. And now she was sulking and just wanted to be left alone, _now_ was when he was choosing to be sociable?

"He's in Ghouls Studies. He changed his schedule at the last minute."

"Oh." Scorpius continued to look at Rose, she kept her eyes staring determinately at the front of the room, but Professor Clay made no attempt to stop the conversations. She heard Scorpius sigh and say seriously, "Do you dislike me?"

"No." She answered automatically, "I don't particularly know you. And I don't care."

"Because you sound mad." Scorpius observed.

"I'm _mad_ because you won't leave me alone." Rose's stomach began to feel uncomfortable, as though there were snakes wriggling around inside it. She figured there _must_ have been a reason for Rose to dislike Scorpius. Even though she said there was nothing there, something told her to leave him alone. Actually, now that she thought about it, that 'something' may have been her father. _"You beat him in every test, Rosie."_ He had told her before she boarded the train for her first year at Hogwarts. That got her thinking: why would her father say something like that? What kind of grudge could her father be holding against an eleven-year-old? He wasn't even officially a Slytherin back then. "Do you think I have reason to dislike you?" She asked suddenly.

"I don't think so." Scorpius looked surprised.

"I guess I was just surprised." The Weasley girl muttered, "I haven't really seen you talk that much before."

"I heard somewhere that school is easier if you can talk to the people around you. Get to know the person you sit next to and things like that." He explained.

"That makes sense." She pushed aside the snakes in her stomach, deciding to think for herself instead of what her father told her. She had never been without Albus before, she had no fourth year friends. Ancient Runes had sounded interesting, and she had wanted to take it, but she had wanted to switch just because Albus wasn't there, "Where did you hear that?"

"My mother, probably." Scorpius shrugged, "I don't have a lot of friends, she said that school's easier if you have someone to talk to. I know it might seem weird but you're always talking to Albus, so you don't really know."

"You know what I just realized?" Rose said, lowering her voice, Scorpius leaned in a bit to hear, "I don't have that many friends either. Albus is always in my classes so I haven't had to make any new friends. The people I spend time with are mostly people that I grew up with."

"But you've got a really big family." Scorpius pointed out, "That must be nice."

"It is." Rose tilted her head to one side curiously, "What's your family like? Do you have any siblings?"

"No." Her deskmate answered, "It's just me and my parents."

"What are they like?"

"I don't know. They work at the Ministry, so they're busy a lot of the time. I know that my dad especially gets stressed out sometimes. But, thankfully, my mother is really good at calming people down, making them feel peaceful, you know?" Marrissa Malfoy was a soothing presence. Her voice was soft and her eyes were empathetic, she always knew the right thing to say to someone going through a hard time. Her willowy white-blond hair hung to her shoulder and no matter what she did with it a few strands escaped to frame her oval face. She was pale and thin, just like everyone thought a typical Malfoy should be, though her bloodline may have been questionable. Her family had been wizards for generations, no one thought to look more into it than that. Marrissa (born Marrissa Calvin) grew up in Slovenia and moved to England after leaving school, she met her husband Draco Malfoy while working at the Ministry (or, more specifically, on a lift at the Ministry). Her accent made her voice purr, her vocals always serene.

"She sounds nice." Rose commented.

"She is." Scorpius became a little more enthusiastic, "She can handle anything. My dad, sometimes he really needs her, they're perfect for each other. Not that they're too similar or anything, but they kind of complete each other. Together they make up a single person who has every trait under the sun. "My dad likes to fly, he taught me a really long time ago. We like to scrimmage in our back forest."

"Do you play Quidditch?" Rose picture last year's Slytherin team, trying to remember if Scorpius had been among them.

"No. I never tried out. I like it enough, but I don't think I'd make the team."

"That's silly." Rose cut in without thinking, "If it's something you enjoy you should try for it."

"Easy for you to say." Scorpius grumbled, eying her Quidditch Captain badge.

"If you don't try you won't know." The redhead continued, "Say that you'll try out."

"But..."

"Promise me, Scorpius Malfoy," Rose crossed her arms stubbornly, "that you'll try out for the Quidditch team."

"Maybe." Scorpius qualified, "Our house isn't having tryout until October since the captain and remaining members are so busy. Even though I probably shouldn't have told you that." He covered his mouth nervously, Rose grinned at him.

"No, that's fine. Any Quidditch information you want to give me is welcome, I'm glad to know what the enemy's doing." She laughed, "We're having tryouts as soon as possible. The other schools are getting here next week so we'd like to do it in those next couple of days. We're too busy getting settled this week, or so I'm told. And the day after they get here is when the Champions are being announced so maybe the day after that."

"You should hold tryouts over the weekend." Scorpius suggested, "That way you could get it out of the way and start practices."

"I guess that could work." Rose mused, "I'll have to talk to Professor Malkun first, the Head of House is _technically_ in charge of this stuff."

"Think of it this way: Slytherin has already set a date for Quidditch tryouts, which is more than you can say." His companion winced.

"You're right. I'll go talk to Malkun after class. You should come watch."

"Me? The _enemy_?" Scorpius asked dramatically.

"Lots of people come to watch the tryouts in all of the houses. Last year the entire Ravenclaw Quidditch team turned out to watch, it's fun. And there's not a lot of harm in them seeing you assemble the team because we're like completely different people after we've gotten some training in."

"I'll think about it." Scorpius said.

"You might try out, you might come watch." Rose rolled her eyes and elbowed him playfully, "You can't seem to make your mind up on anything."

"Class! Come now, focus on me." Professor Clay called from the front of the room before Scorpius could reply.

* * *

"Then it's settled. The Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts will be held on Saturday at noon. I'll go book the field right away." Professor Malkun turned in his seat, writing on a piece of parchment and speaking to the expectant fourth year in front of him at the same time, "Very wise of you to get a jump on this, no one else is even considering holding practices or tryouts for a couple of weeks. Here," He handed her the Quidditch sign up sheet, "Hang this up on the bulletin in the Common room, people who want to try out will sign up. Now, go on." Rose took the piece of parchment, feeling slightly winded and backed out of the Head of House's office.

Albus was waiting for her in the corridor outside. She folded up the sheet and put it in her robe pocket before turning around and seeing him.

"I heard that you were visiting Professor Malkun." He explained when his cousin looked confused. Rose moved to his side as they began to make their way back to the common room, "Were you getting your schedule changed?"

"What?"

"To switch from Ancient Runes to Ghoul Studies with me." Albus elaborated.

"Oh. No, I didn't." Rose looked at her feet, "I don't think of going to."

"What?"

"I want to stay in Ancient Runes." Rose avoided looking at him. She had a good time in that class. Professor Clay had talked a bit about the class, explaining what they would be studying, and Rose had found it interesting. She'd had no interest in learning about Ghouls. Also, a couple of times during the class Rose had gotten confused as to what page she was supposed to be on and Scorpius had whispered it to her. After that, whatever Professor Clay had been talking about didn't seem very important. Through a series of trials and errors Rose and Scorpius discovered that if they didn't face each other or move their lips too much their Professor wouldn't hear them whispering. They whispered about scribbles that Rose found in the margins of her book and how Scorpius interpreted the symbols, making Rose smother her giggles repeatedly.

"But if you do that we won't be in the same class." Albus said dazedly.

"I know." Rose replied.

"We _always_ have class together."

"That's the point!" Rose turned to look at him, "We don't know anyone, we have no other friends. We've been in the same class as all of the other fourth years since we got here and we don't know any of them! Don't you want any other friends? Friends that you _aren't_ related to? Or practically related to, for that matter."

"Not particularly." Albus answered dryly.

"Well, _I_ do. And I want to take Ancient Runes, it's interesting. You can switch back in or you can stay in Ghoul Studies. I don't care. We shouldn't have to change classes just to be together twenty four hours a day."

"Are you mad at me?" Albus asked seriously.

"Not at all!" Rose assured him, "I'm just staying in Ancient Runes."

"This is going to be weird." Albus sighed. Rose patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"On the bright side: Quidditch tryouts are on Saturday."

"I thought you were waiting until next week." Albus said in shock. As they entered the common room Rose shrugged.

"I changed my mind." Was her simply reply.

* * *

**I recently noticed that there was some inconsistency with Rose and Albus's age. In the last story they WERE third years and they are now fourth years, that's final. **

**Review!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	4. Pitch

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 4. Pitch_  
**

Saturday at noon Rose had assembled her remaining Quidditch team at the pitch. They stood with their brooms in hand, looking around at all of the applicants warily. They were a beater and a keeper short from having a complete Quidditch team, seeing as their Keeper, Ace Warren, and their other beater, E.G Jordan both left school the year before. The chasers; James Potter, Amy Vane, and Luke Syphon (a middle eastern-looking fifth year with a shaved head and interesting green-brown eyes) were the only group untouched with the exception of their seeker, Demi Case. Rose held her beater's bat loosely at her side as she gazed at the stands (filled with onlookers) expectantly. Albus, who was sitting with Fiona, Millie, Lily, and Ella, waved at her and she waved back and turned away, looking disappointed.

"I suppose we'd better get started." She said, turning to the rest of the team. They all mounted their brooms and took flight, all chatter on the pitch ceased as they flew over to the group of people holding broomsticks nervously. "First thing's first. Everyone mount up and take a lap around the pitch. Try to get back here as fast as possible. _Don't_ run into anyone else and if you hit the ground or fall off your broom, please leave immediately." Several people took off at once as others got on their broomsticks clumsily. Rose put a hand to her face, "I don't think I have the patience for this." She confided in James, who was floating next to her, "You should have been captain."

"You're great under pressure." James put a hand on his cousin's back sympathetically, "And you're a better leader than I am. It's just tryouts, things will get easier from here."

"I guess." Rose muttered, James saw her scanning the stands again.

"Who are you looking for?" He asked curiously as her eyes panned over Albus and their friends.

"No one." She sighed, "Just looking." James felt like he should have questioned her more, but that was when most of the students trying out for their team returned from their lap and waited in front of them without dismounting their brooms.

Rose then went about separating the people who were trying out for beater and those trying out for keeper. When they got into groups she sent the potential keepers to sit near the edge of the stadium and wait while she called the beaters up one at a time. Their first challenge was to volley with her. Rose would send a bludger flying their way and it was their job to send it back to her, this showed both reflexes and aim. Most of them were unable to return her first hit, though no one was seriously injured as the flying rock knocked them from their broom. However, a few choice players were able to volley the bludger for more than ten seconds, which was an accomplishment. The next task was moving targets, using the chasers- and Demi- as targets while Rose oversaw the operation. After that, choices were few and obvious.

Then the keepers came forward for their chance. Rose wasted no time with them, she set them to do a quick passing drill (to see if they could throw and catch) then put them in front of the rings individually. The chasers then threw 2 shots each on all of the keepers. Finally, several hours later, Rose had made the decisions. Her head hurt and her butt was sore from sitting on the broom, thankfully James had been very helpful. As keeper, she picked a surprising talent: the bouncy, enthusiastic, second-year Margaret Creevey. She was tiny and agile, able to shoot from hoop to hoop and block every shot they threw at her. Her eyes were flat brown and so was her shoulder-length hair. The beater was the sixth year, Alby Lennon. He was burly and was able to hit a bludger across the pitch, his aim could have improved but was still decent. Rose rubbed her forehead and flew down to the ground as the crowd began to dissipate. Albus was waiting for her by the door to the dressing rooms.

"Everyone's taking off." He informed her.

"I still need to lock everything up." She looked out over the pitch wearily.

"Not that that doesn't sound fun, but I have to get to the library."

"Why?" Rose asked immediately.

"I need to study." Rose glared at him accusingly. The last time she had let him go to the library alone he had concocted a spell that nearly burned the school down. "Don't worry, it's Ghoul Study stuff."

"At least take Lily and Ella with you to supervise." Rose ordered.

"I hardly think I need chaperons." Albus said as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Humor me." Rose growled. Her cousin sighed in defeat and walked away. Still suspicious, Rose returned to the center of the pitch and started gathering the supplies when someone approached her. At first, she didn't look up, too distracted by the task at hand.

But when she heard a familiar voice say, "Congratulations." Her head snapped up. Scorpius Malfoy stood in front of her, his posture relaxed, his face pleasant.

"For what?" Rose asked, beginning to smile.

"On filling your positions. You're ahead of all the other teams." Scorpius bent down to help buckle the Quaffle into the trunk, Rose blushed.

"Oh. Thanks."

"Yep. And I reckon we're all going to have a hard time getting the Quaffle in past your new keeper." He commented.

"You were watching?" Rose asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I told you I might come, why are you so surprised?"

"I didn't see you." Rose blurted out before biting her lip, trying to keep it from sounding like she was looking for him, which she had been.

"I'm sneaky." Scorpius's eyes twinkled with laughter. Together, they immobilized the bludgers and forced them back into their niches.

"Did you decide about trying out for your team?" Rose asked as she straightened, swiping a few strands of loose hair from her face. Scorpius shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't feel like going out if there's no chance I'll make it. My parents say I can but, seriously, they're my parents. That's what they're supposed to say."

"Do _you_ think you're good?" She asked.

"I don't have a way to tell." Scorpius answered. Rose observed him for a moment with narrowed eyes. She bent down and unbuckled the Quaffle, tucking it under her arm and tossing one of the spare brooms to Scorpius as she stood up again.

"Well, then." She smiled mischievously and mounted her broom as her shocked companion caught the one she threw to him, "Let's see what you've got." And she kicked off. By the time she flew a lap Scorpius was up in the air with her, speeding along beside her. Rose pulled up short at the centerline and Scorpius flew in across from her, turning to face her and the Quaffle. "One on one." Rose challenged, "Just the Quaffle. First to five points wins."

She feinted to the right and whizzed past him, headed for the goal. He caught up with her surprisingly fast, using his knees to push her broom to the sides of the stadium. Struggling against him, Rose rolled on her broom above him and took off again. After a few yards she looked behind her and didn't see any signs of Scorpius, she looked back to the hoops just when Scorpius came up from under her and hit the Quaffle out of her hands. He caught the big red ball and took off the the other end of the pitch, Rose in hot pursuit. She couldn't stop him before he scored a goal.

"One to zero." Scorpius grinned as Rose blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, she glared at him.

"You won't be able to land four more on me." She taunted.

"We'll see."

Rose started with the ball again, this time flying in random patterns, trying to elude her competitor. He slammed into her side again and picked up her fumble. Rose raced Scorpius to the other end of the pitch and just when they were neck-in-neck Rose gripped the broom with one hand and threw her body off of it. She swung underneath the piece of wood with enough momentum to get her leg up and kick the Quaffle away from Scorpius. She quickly heaved herself up again and grabbed the Quaffle, taking off to score her first goal.

"One all." She said smugly, swinging her broom around to face Scorpius.

"Nice move." Scorpius complimented sincerely, then his eyes became playful, "Bet you can't to it again."

An hour later, it was nearly dinner time. The score was 4-4, both sides tired and more determined than ever. In the last 20 minutes they had met a stalemate, neither of them being able to keep control of the ball for very long, so neither of them had score.

"I'm hungry." Rose complained as she headed toward the hoops with the ball.

"Next goal wins." Scorpius reminded her, flying in from above and snatching the Quaffle out from under her arm. Rose followed quickly, trying desperately to regain possession, but her growling stomach distracted her as Scorpius's will to win won out over hers. He sunk the Quaffle through the ring with ease and turned to face the panting Rose. "I win." He said calmly. Rose smiled at him weakly as she headed for the ground and dismounted her broom. Scorpius landed next to her and helped put the Quaffle away-again-and gathered up all the spare brooms. Together, they dragged all of the supplies back into the locked storage shed and closed the door on them. Rose didn't speak until they had turned around again and were headed back to the castle.

"See? Are you going to try out for the team now?" She asked. Scorpius hesitated. "Come on!" Rose pressed, elbowing him playfully, "You won! That's got to mean something."

"You're a beater. It probably would have gone differently if I'd been playing another Chaser." Scorpius insisted.

"_Another_ chaser?" Rose repeated victoriously, "You just called yourself a chaser. Ha!" He hung his head in embarrassment. Rose moved a little closer to him so they were walking with their elbows touching. "I'm not saying you have to make the team." She said quietly, "The world doesn't end if you don't make it past tryouts. But you'll have a lot of fun if you _do_ make it. And I think you will, you're pretty good. And if you don't try out, you'll never know."

"You are just trying to make me feel better." Scorpius accused. Rose crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I am _not_. Merlin, Scorpius, do something fun!"

"Okay, okay. I'll try out. Happy?" He looked at her.

"I am." She grinned, making Scorpius smile back as they walked into the castle.

* * *

"Tomorrow is the big day!" Lily announced as she skipped into the common room, Ella right behind her. James, Fiona, Millie, Michelle, Demi, Rose, and Albus were all sitting around and looked up when the two younger girls came in.

"Huh?" Michelle asked.

"The other schools are getting here tomorrow." Ella clarified as she climbed onto the top of the couch and put her legs between Demi and Fiona's shoulders. Lily perched on the small study table and looked at them all excitedly.

"Yes, we know." Albus said, rolling his eyes. Rose punched his arm.

"Are you excited to meet them?" Fiona asked Lily.

"Duh!" Lily beamed, "This year is going to be great!"

"It's just another year." Albus reminded her, "A normal year." James eyebrows wrinkled as he turned to look at his younger brother.

"No it isn't." Lily argued happily, "It's going to be _extraordinary_!"

"If you say so." Albus answered. Rose glared at him.

"Don't listen to him." She told the smaller redhead, "I think you're right." Albus looked surprised.

"I think it's time Lily went to bed." Fiona said, looking at the others accusingly.

"Yeah." Lily agreed at once, jumping up from the table. She ran around the couch and grabbed Ella by the elbow, pulling her off the back of the couch and causing them both to collapse. After they stood up the two giggling first years raced up to the dormitory.

"Hey, maybe dad will be around to watch some of the tournament." Albus said suddenly.

"I bet. Since he's the minister." Demi said.

"Oh, that'd be nice!" Fiona wiggled her elbow against Demi's arm excitedly. Millie looked at all of their eager faces with confusion.

"I know everyone's excited about this tournament." She said, "But I have no idea what to expect."

Her comment made Michelle grin and answer, "Neither do we. That's the point."

* * *

**I think I've had this chapter written for over a week now, but I haven't gotten around to putting it up. Sorry! **

**Review!  
**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	5. Warm Welcome

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 5. Warm Welcome_  
**

All of the Hogwarts students were expected to be outside at the time of the other school's arrivals. Professor McGonagall wanted a casual acceptance of their guests who would arrive sometime that afternoon.

"I read about this part." Lily whispered as they all waited outside impatiently.

"So did I." Rose whispered back with a smile.

"I'm hungry." James complained. Next to him, Fiona rolled her eyes.

"Suck it up, it won't be long now." She said.

"You don't know that." Albus grumbled.

"_Potters_." Fiona muttered in exasperation with a wink at Lily.

"Look!" Ella said suddenly, looking up. The Beauxbatons arrived in their monumentally large carriage. The woman who stepped out was tall, slim, and regal-looking. Her icy blond hair was pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head. Her blue robes had big sleeves and tiny gray feathers integrated into the hems. Professor McGonagall smiled and walked forward, shaking the woman's hand. She turned back to the students.

"Students, may I introduce the Beauxbatons Headmistress, Professor Lorrisa Loire." She said with a gesture to the woman next to her.

"Greetings." Professor Loire nodded her head. Behind her, the carriage door opened again and about 30 students stepped out and huddled behind their headmistress. They were lead inside and the Hogwarts students remained, waiting for the other school to arrive. It wasn't long before, just as the books had predicted, someone appeared to pull a plug at the bottom of the lake. The water swirled as though it was a giant whirlpool and from out of the dark water the mast of a ship emerged. The Hogwarts students watched as people scrambled aboard the stern, they lowered a plank down from the deck to the shore. The first person to step off the ship and walk down the plank was a burly man wearing a big fur coat and black boots, his students trailed along behind him.

"Minerva." He greeted McGonagall in a friendly tone, taking her hand.

"And this, students, is the new Headmaster of Durmstrang, Professor Gaston Strathough." The Headmistress introduced.

"Thank you." Professor Strathough's eyes moved to the Beauxbaton carriage, "I see we are the last to arrive." He observed ruefully.

"We've only been waiting for a few minutes." McGonagall assured him, "Shall we move inside? I'm sure all of our students are freezing out here." Although some of the Hogwarts students shivered from the cold, most of them were more distracted by the growling of their stomachs. The Durmstrang students looked thermally comfortable in their red school robes. They all migrated inside, the three schools mixing together in the Entrance Hall as they moved toward the Great Hall for the arrival feast. When they reached the Great Hall all of the Hogwarts students quickly moved to their respective tables. The others hovered by the doors awkwardly for a few moments, unsure of where to sit. Michelle Thomas, to no one's surprise, had been talking to one of the boys from Beauxbatons. Upon seeing him in the doorway she beckoned for him to come and sit with her. He moved away from the group toward the Gryffindor table, a boy and another girl followed him. Once they had taken their seat the rest of the Beaxbatons followed suit and took seats at the Gryffindor table. The Durmstrang students conveniently sat down at the Hufflepuff table, which happened to be the table closest to the doors.

"Ah." James groaned as the gold platters magically filled with food. He immediately pounced on the Shepard's pie in front of him, causing Fiona to roll her eyes and turn to Michelle (who was sitting next to her) and her new friend.

"And this is one of my best friends: Fiona Finnegan." Michelle was saying. The boy leaned across Michelle and held out his hand.

"Didier Klasse." He introduced himself. After shaking Fiona's hand he leaned back and gestured to the girl sitting next to him, "Zis iz my sister, Justine." Justine leaned forward and Fiona noted the similarities between the siblings. They had the same tanned skin and green eyes. They appeared to be about the same height. They also had the same dark brown hair, Didier's was cut short while Justine's was tied in a long ponytail with bangs brushing against the tips of her eyelashes, causing the strands to flutter each time she blinked. Didier then motioned to the dark-eyed boy with blue-black hair sitting across from him, "And zis iz our friend, Adrien Depaul." Fiona guessed by the way Adrien's eyes slid up to Justine and the exasperated look Justine gave her brother that the two were more than just friends.

"Adrien iz my boyfriend." Justine corrected, nudging Didier's side, "Didier iz just in denial." Didier shrugged. Fiona smiled, Justine's voice was femininely lower-pitched with just a hint of roughness, Fiona had to concentrate to understand what she said through the french accent, although she was easier to understand than her brother. Fiona immediately liked Justine's uniqueness.

"Nice to meet you." Fiona said to all of them at once.

"And speaking of which," Michelle jumped back in, "This is Fiona's boyfriend: James Potter." James, sitting across from Fiona, looked up with a mouth full of food, smiling sheepishly. The three Beauxbatons students, however, were staring at him with their mouths hanging open.

"Potter? Ze son ov ze famous 'Arry Potter?" Justine asked in amazement.

"The very same." Michelle crossed her arms proudly as James struggled to swallow. Michelle glanced at him and rolled her eyes, "Isn't he elegant?" She asked sarcastically.

"You are friends with ze Potters?" Didier asked.

"Of course!" Michelle grinned, "They're the best. Down there is Albus and Lily, they're James's brother and sister. And Rose, there, is their cousin. So is Hugo, down at the Ravenclaw table. And these are our friends Demi, Millie, and Ella." Didier and his friends nodded, still looking at the group with astonishment. "Don't look so worried." Michelle laughed, "They're just regular people, didn't you see James nearly choke just now?"

"Shut up, Michelle." James ordered sternly, Michelle merely shrugged and rested her elbows on the table. There were a few moments of silence as everyone gathered food and began to eat. Justine glanced up and down the table before carefully lifting her right arm and letting it hover just above the wood of the table. Her blue robe's sleeve shifted slightly as something moved under it. While Justine thought no one was looking, a very small monkey crawled timidly out of her sleeve and onto the table. The mammal was barely bigger than Justine's middle finger with tiny pink fingers and toes, a small tail and a bushy head. It's fur was silver streaked with gold and a little bit of purple. Didier looked over and saw the small creature cling to the edge of Justine's golden plate, his eyes widened.

"Justine!" He hissed quietly, "Don't let Jacques on ze table!"

"But he'z only curious." Justine argued, looking at the small pet fondly.

"What _is_ that?" Rose asked with fascination, leaning on her elbows to see farther down the table.

"Zis iz Jacques, he'z a pygmy marmoset." Justine explained.

"It looks like a little monkey!" Demi observed.

"Eet _iz_ a little monkey." Didier said, "And eet doesn't belong on ze table."

"Stubborn." Justine muttered, crossing her arms.

"I think it's cute." Fiona said, eyes trained on the marmoset, "Albus just got a ferret over the summer. Isn't that right, Albus?" She turned her head to look at Albus, who was the only one not paying attention. Albus was staring into one of the golden pots that contained a stew-like substance with visible vegetables.

"What is this supposed to be?" He asked fearfully. Everyone looked up at the dish he was indicating.

"C'est Ratatouille." Didier explained without much interest.

"Rat what?" Albus asked in alarm.

"Ratatouille." Justine smiled.

"Right." Albus leaned back with a fearful glance at the French dish. Justine watched his movement curiously.

"You should try some." She suggested, "Eet iz good."

"No thanks." The boy muttered.

"No, see what I do." She glanced at the golden colored bowl sitting empty in front of Albus. Following the French girl's gaze, Fiona snatched the bowl away from him before he could say anything and passed it down to Justine. Justine took the bowl and ladled some of the Ratatouille into it. "I put some rice in eet, the rice makes eet thicker and easier to eat." She scooped some white rice into the bowl and stirred it together. She passed it back down to Fiona who set it back in front of Albus. Albus watched the dish suspiciously as it returned to him, he focused on the odd consistency of the food. "Try eet." Justine encouraged from down the table. Albus's face became pained, everyone looked at him, waiting for him to take a bite.

"Go on." Lily urged, Ella nodded enthusiastically.

"I don't know." He hesitated.

"Just try it." Rose insisted.

"Yeah." James agreed with a sadistic grin. Millie was trying not to look too amused and Demi hid a giggle behind her hand. Albus looked up at Justine's expectant look and Fiona's determined stare.

"Fine. Fine." He grumbled and picked up his spoon. The utensil hung over the stew nervously for a moment as Albus regarded it.

"Any day now, Albus." Rose said, becoming impatient.

"I'm going!" Albus snapped at his cousin before plunging the spoon into his food. He lifted the spoon slowly and brought it to his lips, the whole group was silent enough to hear him slurp, Justine leaned forward in anticipation. Albus set the spoon down and looked at his plate, "It was okay."

"That means he liked it." Michelle whispered to Didier, Justine, and Adrien, loudly enough for the rest of them to hear.

"He just can't admit it." Fiona added. Albus opened his mouth to argue but stopped himself. He closed his mouth awkwardly and looked up at the head table where Professors Strathough and Loire were sitting on either side of Professor McGonagall. Others followed his gaze curiously. "Professor Loire is your Headmistress?" Fiona asked.

"Oui." Didier answered as he looked up.

"What's she like?" Demi asked.

"Don't know 'er very well." Justine said with a shrug, "Ze only people who see 'er much are ze trouble-makers. You don't want to be sent to Professor Loire's office."

"She looks strict." Michelle observed.

"I suppose she would be." Justine said, "She doesn't tolerate trouble-makers at 'er school."

"What is your 'eadmistress like?" Didier asked.

"She's pretty strict, too." Michelle answered, "But she also really cares about the well-being of the students." All eyes landed on Professor Gaston Strathough.

"Professor Strathough, 'e looks scary." Justine said, shrinking into the bench a bit. Jacques, who was eating a grape, looked at her and tilted his head to one side.

"He's very...big, isn't he?" Millie spoke, chewing her lip nervously.

"But so is Mr. Zellit." Rose argued, tilting her shoulders in Ella's direction, "And he's not so scary."

"Speak for yourself." James muttered.

"Don't be scared." Ella said to James, "He likes you. He's not scary if you stay on his good side."

"Words to live by." James was looking paler.

"If you like." The second year smiled innocently, making James shiver uncomfortably. Lily nudged her friend with her shoulder.

"Stop scaring my brother." She ordered. Ella shrugged and turned back to her food. Jacques had finished his grape and was now starting to wander down the table, looking up at each of the students as he passed. He peeked inside bowls and sniffed at dished, a couple of times he stopped their conversation with a little sneeze, distracting everyone with it's adorable appeal. After a few minutes he had reached the place where Lily and Ella were sitting at the edge of the group. "Hey, Jacques." Lily crooned, offering the small monkey her finger. He put his tiny hands on her finger and sniffed it, the little redhead giggled as he sneezed again. Jacques put his hands back on the table and crossed to Ella's empty plate and began to examine it. Ella, who wasn't much of a talker anyway, didn't say anything, but kept her eyes trained on him as he moved around her plate. When he had finished his examination he looked up at her with his head once again tilted. The girl stared at Jacques, unsure of what to do. "Don't be rude," Lily advised, "say hello." Ella glanced up at her best friend and then back to the primate uncertainly. When she looked back to Lily the little redhead flapped her hands encouragingly. Jacques appeared to be waiting patiently for Ella to act, he watched the girls' exchange with wide eyes.

Finally, Ella took a deep breath and addressed him, "Hello, Jacques." Before Ella had time to react, Jacques scampered up the little girl's arm and perched himself on her shoulder. He crouched down and used his tiny hands to pull his tail over his eyes. Ella looked around, shocked.

" 'E likes you." Justine, who'd been watching her pet's progress down the table, smiled.

"Oh." Ella breathed, looking more than a little confused. Jacques didn't leave Ella's shoulder even as the food disappeared from the gold platters and the crowd fell silent as Professor McGonagall stood.

"Students, may I have your attention, please?" She called, even though everyone was already quiet and watching her with rapt attention. "To our guests, I'd like to welcome you to Hogwarts. We hope that your stay at our school is enjoyable. Now, the moment you're all waiting for: The Triwizard Tournament. Some of you maybe wondering about how the champions will be chosen. The participants in the tournament will not be chosen by any one person, but by this." She opened a wooden crate that was sitting on a pedestal in front of her and pulled out a large stone goblet that was filled to the brim with blue flames. "This is the Goblet of Fire. Students wishing to participate will write down their names and place the parchment in the goblet. An age line will be drawn around it so that no unqualified students will enter their names. For those of you who _do_ choose to enter, let me warn you," She placed the Goblet of Fire on the pedestal as the crate was taken away, "This competition will be daunting, difficult, and dangerous. It is not for those who are feint of heart. Once you are chosen by the Goblet you are magically bound to see the competition through. So be absolutely sure before submitting your name, there will be one champion for each school. You have until tomorrow evening to submit your names because tomorrow at dinner the goblet will make its decisions and we will have our champions. Good luck everyone, and for now I wish you all goodnight." There was a loud scraping of benches against the floor as the students stood and headed to bed. They all filed out of the Great Hall, Ella plucked Jacques from her shoulder and handed him back to Justine.

"See you all in the morning." Justine said.

"Oui, goodnight." Didier added as Adrien waved in farewell.

"Bye!" Lily called after them enthusiastically. Justine, Didier, and Adrien all headed out the front door to the Beaxbatons carriage as the Gryffindors moved upstairs.

"I'm so excited!" Michelle squealed, "I want to be the champion. Either me or James."

"I wish I could compete." Demi, not yet finished with her O.W.L year, complained.

"And, Michelle, what about me?" Fiona asked in mock offense.

"That'd be cool, too." Michelle hugged her friend around the shoulders, "Who else do you think might get chosen?"

"Landon Longbottom?" Demi suggested. Everyone took a moment to imagine the school's bad boy as the champion.

"I could see it." His ex-girlfriend said finally.

"I guess we'll just have to find out tomorrow." Millie said patiently. All feeling alive with nervous and excited jitters, the group went to bed, unable to wait for tomorrow to come.

* * *

**I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! I've been busy and distracted blah blah blah.**

**REVIEW!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	6. All In

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 6. All In_  
**

The Goblet of Fire stood on its pedestal in the front of the Great Hall, a large white circle drawn around it. Students wandered about the hall eating breakfast. The Goblet set a foreboding atmosphere, students glanced at it apprehensively and even the their conversations were hushed when near the magical object. The Great Hall was close to empty when James, Fiona, Michelle, Millie, Albus, Rose, Lily, and Ella entered and took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

"What's everyone so freaked out about?" Albus asked without sympathy, looking around at his fellow students. Rose, next to him, shrugged.

"It's making _me_ a little bit nervous." Fiona admitted, looking at the smoking Goblet suspiciously as she thought about the small piece of parchment that was currently folded in her pocket reading: _Fiona Finnegan- Hogwarts_. James, Michelle, and Millie all had similar notes in their robes and privately agreed with her. Amy, Demi, Landon and their group of friends entered the Great Hall, no one paid them much attention until they approached the Goblet of Fire. Amy, Landon and a couple of others took turns stepping beyond the line and placing small pieces of parchment into the goblet. The blue flames turned crimson for a moment, then returned to their serene blue color. The group then sat down at the Gryffindor table, Demi caught Rose's eye and gave the younger girl a thumbs up.

"Demi seems to think it went okay." Rose pointed out to the others. The three oldest of them looked down the table.

"I don't think _anything_ could make Demi nervous." James said. They all returned to their food but didn't have long to eat before the entirety of the Beauxbatons guests walked into the Great Hall. As a group they marched forward to the Goblet and its age line, except for three. Didier, Justine, and Adrien broke away from the rest of their school to sit down at the Gryffindor table.

"Bon Matin!" Justine greeted cheerily.

"That's good morning, right?" Lily asked uncertainly, Justine laughed and nodded. They all watched as each of the Beauxbatons stepped up and fed their parchment to the fire. The flames flashed red, then back to blue. Once everyone had submitted their names., the group turned and moved back out of the Great Hall.

"They're not very sociable, are they?" Albus rested his chin on his palm.

"Zey just 'ave not gotten used to eet 'ere yet." Didier explained, "Are any of you putting your names in?" This drew nods from James, Fiona, Michelle, and Millie.

"We're putting our names in after breakfast." Justine said, pulling a scrap of parchment out of her pocket and holding it out for the others to observe. The words _Justine Klasse- Beauxbatons_ were written on it in a precise, small script. She replaced the paper in her robes and a surprised look crossed her face. Her face scrunched in concentration as she reached deeper into her pocket. After a moment, Justine pulled out her fist that was closed around her small marmoset. Justine set Jacques down on the table and looked at him sternly. "Jacques!" She scolded, "J'ai disais non!" Jacques blinked at his owner innocently. Justine sighed in exasperation and waved him away. The monkey looked around the table and when his large, amber eyes landed on Ella he ran forward in delight. He scuttled across the table and up her arm in a couple of seconds and snuggled into her neck. "I 'ave never seen Jacques become so comfortable with someone dis quickly." Justine told Ella with a smile.

"People aren't usually comfortable around me." Ella looked at Jacques affectionately, "They don't like me right away. Well, except for Lily."

"Do you still take classes while you're here?" Millie asked the french students.

"We 'ave class in ze carriage." Didier explained, "But we are 'ere for meals and free time." They took their time eating, become more and more unnerved by the presence of the Goblet. They all sat around for a while, talking and eating, learning about the other schools and their students. Soon it was nearly time for classes to start and Fiona glanced up at the Goblet again, they should really enter their names before classes started. She looked back around at the people she was with. Justine and James were debating Potions strategies, Rose was helping Albus with some homework that he had yet to finish, Michelle was flirting with Didier, Adrien and Millie were sitting silently and watching their friends, Lily was gazing at the Goblet, and Ella was playing with Jacques.

The little girl held out her pointer finger for Jacques to grab, then she would pull it away and make him chase it, all the while singing quietly, "Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques. Dormez vous, dormez vous." Finally, Fiona took a deep breath and stood up, everyone looked up at her.

"We should put our names in and get to class." She said. Silently, they all agreed. Everyone took their time getting up as they all walked up to the Goblet. Rose, Albus, Lily, and Ella all stood back as the older students approached the line. One by one they all stepped forward and deposited their names.

"All in." James stated as they stood around the circle after submitting their names. He looked from left to right, taking in Fiona, Michelle, Millie, Didier, Justine, and Adrien. Then his eyes moved to the edge of the hall where Landon and Amy were leaving for class. _Any one of us could be Triwizard Champion, _he thought.

* * *

Justine had graciously allowed Ella to keep Jacques with her for the day. Lily pranced through the Entrance Hall after Herbology as the two second-years made their way to their second class of the day.

"Oh, look!" Lily stopped short, causing Ella, who was distracted by the marmoset, to narrowly avoid running into her.

"What?" Ella asked when she managed to balance herself. Lily openly pointed to the older boy with blue-black hair that was lounging on the steps of the grand staircase.

"It's Adrien!" Lily squealed as she grabbed Ella's arm and started to drag her, "Let's go talk to him."

"But-" Her little friend protested, but it was too late. Lily pulled to a stop in front of the french boy.

"Hi Adrien!" She greeted him enthusiastically. Adrien looked up, utterly shocked. "Remember us? I'm Lily and this is Ella." She squinted, "You don't talk a lot, do you? I haven't heard you say _anything_. That's okay." She continued without giving him a chance to respond, "Ella didn't talk at all last year. Not a word."

"It's true." Ella put in.

"And we're all still friends with her. _And_ we got her to talk." The redhead glanced past Adrien up the staircase, "We have to go to class, but we'll see you later!" She waved and began dragging Ella up the stairs. Adrien stared after them, his mouth half-open, unable to think of any response to the girls. When they had disappeared, he turned forward again, still puzzled but with the smallest of smiles at the corners of his lips.

* * *

Before dinner, Fiona and James's Charms class was let out early. They walked together, hands entwined, to the Entrance Hall, ready to get early seats for dinner when the Champions would be chosen.

"Wait!" James said suddenly, tugging Fiona's hand. Fiona stumbled backwards and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I forgot that I need to talk to Professor Alvie about something." Professor Alvie, the deputy Headmaster, was James's Alchemy teacher. Alchemy was James's favorite subject, and Fiona's least favorite. He took advanced classes and she dropped out the previous year. Fiona grimaced.

"Do you have to? _Now_?" She asked.

James grinned apologetically, "It'll only take a few minutes, I promise." Fiona glanced wistfully at the Great Hall. "Here," James suggested, "you go ahead, I'll catch up with you later."

"I'll come with you, I don't mind." Fiona argued. James dropped her hand and smiled.

"I insist. Goodness knows what would happen if you returned to the Alchemy room." He joked. James leaned forward and kissed her forehead before turning around, "See you in a few." He called over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." Fiona rolled her eyes as she watched her boyfriend dash up the staircase. She turned back to the Great Hall, seeing the giant doors wide open, but she no longer felt like going inside. Instead she walked around the Entrance Hall a couple of times to release the nervous energy that had been storing up inside her throughout the day. She stopped near one of the hallways that lead away from the Great Hall and looked down it blankly. It took her a few seconds to recognize the two people walking down the hall toward her. She recognized Rose's red hair and gleaming Quidditch Captain's badge immediately, but the boy that was walking with her was a little harder to recognize. She eyed the eerily pale Slytherin as he turned to talk to Rose. Rose, in response, giggled and said something that made the boy laugh. Fiona felt her eyes widen as she identified the student at her friend's side, Albus had pointed him out to her a couple of times, it was Scorpius Malfoy. Although Fiona didn't know the boy personally, Albus hadn't spoken highly of him due to a long-time family grudge running between the Malfoys, Potters, and Weasleys. She couldn't have been more shocked if Rose had been joking around with Bigfoot. Rose looked straight down the hallway for the first time and pulled up short. Fiona had frozen in place at the end of the hallway, the idea of stepping away politely had not yet occurred to her. The smile faded from the fourth-year girl's face as she continued to look at Fiona. Scorpius followed her gaze and looked embarrassed upon seeing Fiona staring at them openly.

"I'll see you later." He said. And even though he had nowhere to go except for dinner, he turned on his heel and left. Rose, caught in the act, began her slow death march to Fiona, who still hadn't recovered.

"Wasn't that...?" Fiona asked stiffly.

"That's Scorpius." Rose said defiantly, raising her chin a fraction of an inch.

"What are you doing with Scorpius Malfoy?" Fiona asked.

"There's no need to sound so surprised." Rose said, "Scorpius is a fourth-year too, you know. And we happen to sit next to each other in Ancient Runes." _The one class she doesn't have with Albus,_ Fiona couldn't help but think. "Fiona, before you say anything, I'd like to say something." The younger girl's voice changed from defensive to sincere. Fiona hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Rose continued, "He's not that bad, really he isn't. He's nice and funny but he's just shy. Even though he's in Slytherin and is a Malfoy, _I_ have nothing against him. He's a good person, I can tell. And we were just walking to dinner together after class, it's a normal thing to do. But we don't do things like that because I'm so afraid that someone will see us and then you guys will get mad."

"Okay." Fiona said slowly, "I can understand that. I don't see any reason for you _not _to be friends, I guess."

"Thanks." Rose said, "And so...I'd really appreciate it if maybe you could keep this between us?" She looked up hopefully. Fiona planted her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.

"You're kidding, right?" She asked.

"Fiona, I know. But..." Rose started.

"We've been through this kind of thing before." Fiona interrupted, "I'm not keeping any more secrets. Not for any_one_ or any_thing_." Rose struggled with herself. She didn't want everyone to know about her budding friendship with Scorpius, she knew that Albus would be mad, and possibly the rest of them. But she also understood Fiona's point. The previous year keeping secrets had caused Fiona nothing but trouble and heartache, she couldn't ask her to keep another one. Fiona's face was set with resolve until Rose looked away in defeat. Upon seeing the strong-willed Weasley back down, Fiona sighed. "How about this:" She suggested, "I won't bring it up tonight. But I'm not going to keep it from James. Tomorrow you and I are going to tell him together. _Then_ we'll decide what to do."

"That sounds like a good plan." Rose exhaled in relief, "Thanks, Fiona."

"Not a problem." The older girl patted her companion on the shoulder, "What do you say we go get good seats?"

* * *

Three schools were assembled in the Hogwarts Great Hall. Everyone had finished eating, though no one had eaten too much seeing as it was their second feast in two days, that coupled with the anticipation of hearing the names of the champions did not make for very hungry students. At last, Professor McGonagall called them all to attention yet again.

"If I call your name as a Champion, you will please proceed up here and through this door." She gestured at the door located to the side behind the staff table, "Where you will wait for instructions. Now, I believe the Goblet is ready to make its choices." The candles in the Great Hall dimmed and everyone leaned forward, breath held in anticipation, watching the blue and white flames lick the rim of the Goblet of Fire. After a minute or so, the fire turned red again and a spout of fire shot out from it, emitting numerous sparks and a charred piece of parchment. Professor McGonagall grabbed the paper out of the air and looked at it.

"The Durmstrang Champion who will compete in the Triwizard Tournament," She said, "Is Sergei Stolojan." There was a loud roar of applause from the Durmstrang students at the Hufflepuff table. A tall boy with muscular arms, medium brown hair, and piercing blue eyes stood and made his way to the front of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall nodded to him and motioned to the door again. With a look of great pride, Sergei walked behind the table and through the door. Professor Strathough, at the staff table, clapped along with the rest of the hall, one eyebrow cocked in interest. The flames of the Goblet turned red again and a second piece of blackened parchment flew out. The Headmistress caught it effortlessly.

"The Champion for Beauxbatons is," She looked at the paper, "Adrien Depaul."

"Oh!" Justine exclaimed, looking across the table at her boyfriend, who looked mildly surprised to hear his name called. Everyone in the Great Hall applauded as Adrien stood up, he was congratulated by his friends from Beauxbatons and Hogwarts alike as he made his way up to the front of the room where he was congratulated by Professor McGonagall and ushered through the door that Sergei had previously disappeared through. Justine looked torn between disappointment, excitement, and worry. Didier, on the other hand, looked like he could barely contain his happiness,

"I knew they were gonna pick him!" Lily said loudly.

"Be quiet, Lily." Albus ordered, already focused on the cup again, "And no you didn't." His sister crossed her arms and slumped back in her seat just as the flames turned red again.

"And the Hogwarts Champion is," Professor McGonagall grabbed the final piece of parchment and read it. Her eyebrows shot up and she seemed to take a moment to compose herself before saying, "The Hogwarts Champion is," She looked at the parchment, as though to double-check the results, "Amelia Keen."

* * *

**There has been a shortage of reviews on fanfiction lately. Not just this story, but all around.  
SOOO...I won't be uploading the next chapter until this one has AT LEAST 2 reviews. I'm sure you have something to say so have at it.**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	7. Champion

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 7. Champion_  
**

"What?" James said in shock. He could have sworn he just heard Professor McGonagall say that _Millie_ was the Triwizard Champion. There was a smattering of light applause from the members of the other schools, but no one from Hogwarts was at the point of clapping. The students who didn't know Millie were looking around, waiting for the Champion to arise and follow the same path as Sergei and Adrien. The students who knew Millie had their heads turned in her direction, and not one of their faces didn't look surprised.

The first set of applause from the Hogwarts crowd was from Ambrose Lovegood, he brought is hands together in measured movements, sending the sound of his smacking skin across the Great Hall. His twin, Andrea, followed suit. Millie hadn't moved an inch. She stared at the headmistress with her gray eyes wide and her lips pressed tightly together. Fiona, who was sitting next to her, tugged on her friend's sleeve encouragingly. Professor McGonagall scanned the crowd quickly when she realized the Champion wasn't showing any signs of coming forward. The woman's eyes landed on Millie and took in her expression.

"Come on up, Millie." She urged kindly.

"Millie!" Justine whipped around in her seat to face Millie, "You're Amelia Keen?"

"Yes, she is our school Champion." Fiona put her hand on Millie's shoulder and applied a bit of pressure, "Assuming, of course, that she ever gets off the bench and up front."

"Did you see that one coming?" Albus asked his younger sister smugly. Lily was standing on the bench again, practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Nope!" She answered happily, "But where's the fun if you aren't surprised?" Millie still hadn't moved. Becoming desperate, Fiona pulled out her wand and looked around nervously. Everyone was still applauding, though she could hear the growing buzz of confused conversation as everyone looked for the final champion. Fiona took a deep breath and, without speaking, cast a spell directed at the wood under Millie. In response, the bench heated to red hot in the selected area. Scorched by the sudden heat, Millie was instantly on her feet and Fiona tucked her wand away before anyone saw it. It appeared that Millie had finally returned to her senses and stepped out from behind the bench to renewed cheers. The girl walked on jelly-like legs up to the front where she came face-to-face with Professor McGonagall.

"Congratulations, Millie." Professor McGonagall said, her eyes sparkling, "If you'll join the others back in the room." Millie nodded numbly and moved behind the staff table through the door. She found herself in a smaller room with no furniture. Portraits lined the wall and a fire blazed in the fireplace across the room. Adrien and Sergei were both already standing near the mantle, both of them looked up when Millie entered. The third champion moved awkwardly to stand next to Adrien, sending him a minuscule wave.

"_You're_ the Hogwarts Champion?" Sergei Stolojan asked, looking Millie up and down. Millie nodded and Sergei let out a bark of laughter. "Some champions. You don't look so tough, I'll win this thing easy!" He put his fist on his sides in a superman fashion. Adrien's eyes narrowed in offense, but Millie was holding back a giggle. Sergei's over-confidence was amusing, she wondered if he had the discipline to back it up. "And you're both so quiet, don't you ever talk? What are we supposed to be doing now? Is this a test?" The Durmstrang champion looked around suspiciously.

"I think we're just waiting." Millie said, trying not to smile at Sergei's dramatics.

"Waiting for what?" He demanded. Before Millie could answer, the door swung open again, four people then filed in: Professor McGonagall, Professor Strathough, Professor Loire, and another tall man with a ski-jump nose, balding crown, and small eyes.

"These are our champions?" The man asked. The three students around the fire nodded. Professor McGonagall moved to stand at Millie's elbow, Professor Loire placed herself behind Adrien, and Professor Strathough clapped a hand on Sergei shoulder. The man continued, "My name is Carmello Vivet, I was the head coordinator in organizing the Triwizard Tournament this year. I will be overseeing the competition throughout the year and making sure everything goes smoothly. I assure you that we have taken sufficient safety measures this year but you should all try your best. I am also the only one here who knows each of the three tasks, your teachers, friends, and headmasters are all just as in the dark as you are. It is forbidden to ask teachers for help with any of the challenges. It is my duty to inform you that you are now magically bound to see the competition through to the end." Millie gulped, she wasn't sure she was ready to be a champion. "The three of you represent your schools, be sure to do them justice. Do what you can and in the meantime, stay out of trouble. Without further ado," Mr. Vivet took a step back so he could see everyone in the room clearly, "I'd like to inform you on the first task. The first task will take place on the 20th of November. You will not know what it is until just before it is undergone. You are allowed a wand, with which you may do whatever you think will help. Showing courage in the face of the unknown is an important trait for great wizards and witches. I wish you luck." Mr. Vivet took a step back with a note of finality and looked at Professor McGonagall expectantly. The Headmistress blinked in surprise then stepped away from Millie and next to Mr. Vivet to address everyone.

"The other students have been dismissed for bed, I expect your friends are waiting for you. You may go." Professor McGonagall told them. The three champions walked out to the Entrance Hall together.

"Are you nervous that we don't get to know what the first task is?" Millie asked the others.

"No!" Sergei answered at once with a laugh, "Why would I be nervous? I've got nothing to worry about, I can do anything!"

"Okay." Millie said quickly. Adrien was looking at Sergei with an irritated expression. "What about you?" Millie asked her French friend. In response, Adrien shrugged. Millie waved to them both as they walked out the front doors to their respective lodgings. She didn't move right away, even though she was supposed to be heading back to her dormitory. She was frozen again, unable to move, thinking about what on _Earth_ that Goblet was thinking by choosing her. She was so deep in thought that she was startled when someone walked up behind her.

"I thought you were going to bed." A deep voice said. Millie jumped and turned around quickly, clutching her heart. Professor Strathough was standing there, smiling, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine. Fine." Millie gasped, not yet recovered. The Durmstrang headmaster stepped up and stood next to Millie, following her gaze out the open doors across the grounds.

"You seemed surprised that the Goblet of Fire chose you." He observed.

"Yeah, everyone was pretty shocked." Millie answered shyly, "Sergei didn't seem surprised." That made the Professor laugh.

"Sergei is...confident."

"You didn't look too surprised by it either."

"I'd be foolish not to have considered the possibility. Sergei Stolojan is one of my brightest students, but his execution isn't always as well thought-out as it should be. You do surprisingly little right when you think you can do no wrong. But his raw talent is enough to propel him through the competition, I think. It will be an interesting journey." Professor Strathough sighed.

"I should go to bed." Millie said quickly, looking up the grand staircase.

"By all means, don't let me keep you." Strathough flapped a hand, waving her away.

"Good night." Millie said as she turned away.

She was nearly to the foot of the staircase when Professor Strathough called after her, "Amelia." Millie stopped with one foot on the stair and looked back. "The Goblet doesn't make mistakes."

"Excuse me?"

"You seem a little confused." The headmaster said, a sly smile on his face, "Don't be. The Goblet of Fire doesn't make mistakes." They stood silently for a minute, Millie staring at him curiously, Professor Strathough still watching the Hogwarts grounds. "Congratulations." He finally said in dismissal. Unable to summon a decent reply, Millie nodded and trotted up the stairs. She went directly to the painting of the Fat Lady and the woman in the portrait, who had never taken notice of Millie before, smiled on her arrival.

"The whole school is abuzz!" The Fat Lady enthused, "I'm so happy to hear that the champion was another Gryffindor."

"Yeah." Millie said weakly, clutching her nauseous stomach as her face paled.

"Oh, you don't look so good." The painting observed, "I hope you don't have to leave the party early."

"Party?" The girl squeaked. The portrait swung open and before Millie could do anything, she was being tugged into the common room by a dozen different pair of hands. She was lost in a sea of people, all of whom were patting her on the back and congratulating her. Someone shoved a goblet of pumpkin juice and a plate of food into her hands, she wasn't sure who it was. She was being spun around and disoriented. Millie never liked attention. She'd made it through school by flying under the radar...until the previous year. A few friends, a little attention, that was all she could handle. Now all eyes were on her and the entire school was depending on her to succeed.

"Millie!" Demi grabbed her arm and bounced up and down, "I can't believe it! This is the coolest thing ever! How excited are you? I'm excited, aren't you?"

"I..." Millie couldn't even answer. Her stomach was dropping, her face was cold, and all around her, everyone was looking at her. She tried to discern the faces swimming before her, but all the colors were blending together and no one was recognizable.

"Come on everyone, back it up! Champion coming through!" A familiar voice was shouting. Through the haze Millie felt someone's hand clasp hers and pull. She knew she was moving, but she didn't know where or why. "Almost there." The voice that Millie was able to recognize said again, quietly this time. A door opened and Millie was lead into a cooler room. The mystery hand dropped hers and hands pressed her shoulders, making her sit down on something soft. The hand then pushed Millie's head down between her knees and Millie closed her eyes tightly. Slowly, her head cleared and her stomach calmed. With a sigh of relief, Millie carefully raised her head and looked up at Fiona's concerned face. She looked around, Fiona had dragged her out of the common room and to their dormitory, she was sitting on her own bed.

"I'm sorry." Millie apologized, "I'm really, really sorry. Thanks."

"Don't worry about it." Fiona said, her face relaxing upon seeing her friend return to normal. Fiona sat down next to Millie on the bed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now. I don't know what happened."

"I think you were just overwhelmed." Her friend said comfortingly, "I figured I should get you out of there when you dropped the plate and pumpkin juice. For a minute there I was worried you'd faint."

"I dropped them?" Millie asked, horrified.

"I don't think anyone noticed, things are kind of crazy down there."

"I can't do it." Millie laid her forehead on her knees, "I can't be champion. I don't know what I'm doing, and I can't let people down. I..."

"You won't." Fiona rubbed Millie's back soothingly, "You'll be great."

"You're just saying that because you're my friend." Millie wailed.

"No." Fiona laughed, "I'm saying it because it's true, you're awesome." Millie giggled hysterically.

"Sure." She said, tone thick with doubt.

* * *

"Why don't you think you can do it?" James asked Millie the next morning. They were sitting with Fiona in the common room before breakfast. Most people had already headed downstairs to the Great Hall for the meal, James, Fiona, and Millie were the only ones who remained in the Gryffindors' lounge.

"Because I'm not a champion." Millie answered, "I'm not special. I'm not smart, I'm not the daughter of a legend." She gestured to James, "I'm not brave."

"You know, there was something that my dad always told us as we were growing up." James said, "He said a wise man once told him, that it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends."

"That doesn't apply to me." The Champion shook her head hopelessly.

"Yes it does." Fiona argued, tapping her knuckles on her friend's shoulder, "Remember last year?"

"I don't think that counts." Millie blushed.

"Of course it does." Fiona insisted. Millie pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them thoughtfully. After a few moments she looked back at James.

"A wise man? Who was that, anyway?"

"Albus Dumbledore." James grinned.

The muggle-born let loose a small smile as she said, "Yeah, I guess so."

* * *

**Wow! I didn't expect those 2 reviews to come so fast! I posted the chapter and had 2 reviews by that evening. I then started typing like a maniac while crying "I haven't written the chapter yet! I told them I'd post it after 2 reviews!" Okay, so I didn't actually cry. But I appreciate all the great reviews, keep it up everyone! **

**And everyone who's upset that I didn't pick James as champion: I'm sorry. I see where you're coming from but that would have been soo cliche. I'm not going to write a story that people are expecting. That's boring. Believe me, this will be more interesting.  
**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	8. The Group

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 8. The Group_**

"She's a Gryffindor, right? Do you know her?" Scorpius asked during homework time of Ancient Runes the next morning. There was a low buzz of conversation that Professor Clay didn't care to quiet. Rose had been looking over her answers for Defense Against The Dark Arts and looked up when her deskmate addressed her.

"Who?"

"The Champion!"

"Oh." Rose took a moment to close her Dark Arts book purposefully before saying, "You mean Millie. I know her. She's a friend of mine. Well, _I_ don't know her that well, but she friends with James and Fiona."

"And what do you think about her being champion?" Scorpius asked. Rose shrugged.

"I have no idea. Like I said, I don't know her that well. She's kind of a shut book, you know? Doesn't really talk much, doesn't make a scene." She said, "I'll be watching, as eager to see what happens as you."

"And you sit with the Beauxbatons champion." The Slytherin pointed out.

"I forgot." Rose sighed.

"How's that?"

"If I say that I don't know Millie very well, I don't know Adrien Depaul at _all_. I haven't heard him say a word. I don't know why we attract all the quiet people, Adrien, Millie, Ella."

"Ella?"

"Nevermind." Rose waved the question away, "She's my cousin's friend." Scorpius stared at his homework for a minute or so, not reading, just thinking. Rose watched him awkwardly, trying to decide whether or not the conversation was over and trying to draw the will to reopen her textbook and finish her Defense Against The Dark Arts homework.

"What did Fiona say?" Scorpius asked when his thoughts returned.

"She's been really supportive of Millie, she's probably the one who knows her best. So if Fiona thinks she can do it, I do."

"That's not what I mean." Scorpius corrected, "I meant about yesterday." Rose sighed again. She had just tried to take a care-free walk down the hall with her friend Scorpius, and she couldn't. She'd already been afraid to associate with Scorpius outside of Ancient Runes in case someone saw them and got mad. For about ten minutes she had thrown caution into the wind, and had gotten caught. Thankfully, she was spotted by Fiona, who didn't have a particular bone to pick with Scorpius and didn't mind their friendship. However, the problem with Fiona was that she wouldn't keep a secret.

"She's okay with it." Rose answered, "But tomorrow we're going to talk to James about it."

"What's he going to think?"

"Again, I have no idea." She rested her forehead on her palm, "I think I'm so smart, I don't know anything." That made Scorpius laugh.

"History and translation are just facts. People and behavior are unpredictable." He assured her, "You can be as smart as you like and still not know a thing about people, even the people you know best."

"Maybe you're right." Rose agreed, "But if I can't predict, I worry." She looked at her friend expectantly. All Scorpius could do was shrug.

"Whatever they think, they're going to think, I don't see any point in fretting over it."

"That's far too rational for me to accept." Rose joked. They both looked forward, having run the conversation into the ground.

"How's Quidditch going?" Scorpius asked to fill the silence.

"It's going great." Rose grinned, "We've only had one practice so far but everyone's doing great. The new Keeper, Margaret, is a natural, she's fitting in really well. Alby is still improving, I'm a little worried about his aim but, all in all, I think it'll be a good year for us. How about you?" She narrowed her eyes, "When are tryouts?"

"Next week." Scorpius said, "Don't worry, I already signed up."

"Good for you!" His desk mate said enthusiastically.

"I expect you'll be there to watch?"

"You're inviting me, the _enemy_?" Rose asked, making Scorpius laugh.

"Your Scorpius imitation could use some work." He informed her, "And yes, I'd like you to be there, as my friend. And as the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, it's probably to your benefit. You'll be there, right?"

"Of course, I'll be there cheering you on." The redhead looked down at her Defense Against The Dark Arts book. "I have until after lunch to finish this." She sighed.

"Don't let me keep you." Scorpius's mouth tipped into a small frown, "I take it you'll be walking yourself to lunch?"

"It's probably for the best that we aren't seen together until I talk to James and Fiona." She chewed her lip, "And then maybe they'll be okay with it."

"Will everyone else listen to them?"

"Mostly. Michelle, Millie, and Lily for sure. The only one I'd really be worried about is Al."

"I didn't know Albus went by Al." Scorpius said, beginning to smile again.

"He doesn't anymore." Rose told him, "He used to go by it all the time. Everyone called him Al, until he came here."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. He got...proud. Uncle Harry used to tell us stories about Albus Dumbledore, and we've all read the books. When he was younger Albus didn't want to share the name of such a great wizard, he felt like he couldn't live up to it. And he didn't want people to expect to much of him, he can't disappoint people and failure was never an option. But when we became first years and were sorted into Gryffindor, he started feeling better about it. There was a way that teachers looked at him. The didn't expect him to be Albus Dumbledore, but Albus Potter was someone to watch. In the end, he stopped correcting teachers who called him Albus, and it stuck. I think he feels honored by his name now, and instead of worrying about failing, he's focusing on being what's expected of him. So now Al is an obsolete nickname that his mother uses." Rose giggled.

"Wow." Scorpius reveled, "I don't really have anything to live up to."

"I don't either." Rose admitted, "I was always encouraged to be as smart as my mother, but knowledge is common. Especially in my family, where everyone is supposedly destined for greatness. Basically there's no real way to stand out." They once again fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Why is Albus the only one you're worried about?" Scorpius asked by means of changing the subject. He'd never admit to Rose that he longed for some kind of destiny. In his life, it seemed like existing was enough. There were no expectations or goals or greatness. There was no following parents' footsteps or being top of the class. There was just life and what you did day by day, nothing more.

"Albus is strong-minded." The Weasley answered, "Everyone else will listen to James and Fiona, but Albus has strong opinions that aren't often swayed, no matter how large the opposing argument is."

"But he's your best friend, that's got to count for something."

"Have you ever had a best friend?" Rose asked, crossing her arms in front of her on the desk. Scorpius, being a Malfoy, didn't exactly blush at the question, but Rose saw a light pink tinge rise to his cheeks.

"I don't..." He cleared his throat, "No." Rose looked at him silently, watching him expectantly as though he'd started a story that he didn't finish. As far as Scorpius was concerned, he hadn't said anything to merit an explanation, but she kept looking at him with her wide, curious eyes, and he sighed, "It's just that I haven't had a lot of friends. So having a best friend seems kind of...far-fetched."

"That's," Rose struggled to find the right words, "really sad." The pink on Scorpius's cheeks spread a bit wider as he shrugged. "Sometimes you remind me of my brother." Rose said suddenly.

"Er..."

"No, I just mean that he doesn't have a lot of friends either." Rose laughed, "Hugo's in Ravenclaw. He does okay. He's part of our big family so he knows people and the Lovegoods are there with him. But he doesn't _talk_ to anyone. He does homework, he studies, he reads. We were never that close to begin with, we were too different from each other as kids. He loves books and always has his nose stuck in one. He still doesn't talk very much. And sometimes I just forget that he's my brother." She put a puzzled look on her face as she studied her deskmate, who shifted uncomfortably.

"That's what you think of me?" Scorpius asked quietly.

"It's not a bad thing." Rose backtracked desperately, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm sure you have more friends than Hugo." Rose said quickly, "That's something." The Malfoy turned his head slowly and met Rose's gaze with dead eyes.

"Rose, you're the closest thing to a friend I've ever had. And we can't even be seen together." He deadpanned.

"We'll see about that." Rose said stubbornly.

* * *

There had been a quiz in Charms class that day covering the small amount of material that had been covered so far. Fiona had finished it quickly, using her fascination of Charms to breeze through the questions. Her boyfriend, however, was struggling and couldn't get dismissed on time for lunch. It was this that brought Fiona, all by herself, to the entrance hall. She stepped off the grand staircase and glanced over at the door just as Justine walked in.

"Justine!" Fiona called, rushing over. Justine smiled as she approached, "Where are Didier and Adrien?" Justine glanced around as though surprised they weren't with her.

"Zey will be coming in a minute." She said, "Where iz James?"

"He got caught up in Charms class." Fiona laughed as the two girls headed into the Great Hall. They sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to some food while waiting for the rest of their friends to arrive.

" 'ow iz James doing?" The french girl asked as she cut into her Shepard's pie.

"What do you mean?"

"I waz expecting 'im to be ze champion. Weren't you?"

"Oh. I'm sure a lot of people were." Fiona sighed, "But I think he's actually relieved that he didn't get picked."

"Pourqui?"

"James has enough to deal with right now. He needs to work hard for N.E., especially Charms. He's got advanced classes and a lot of homework, two siblings to watch out for, several cousins to keep out of trouble, and a girlfriend to spend time with. And he's already got enough of a spotlight on him, being Harry Potter's son and all. They've got so much publicity that the newspapers don't need another Potter story. I'm sure they're glad to share the limelight for once, it gives someone else a chance."

"Like Millie." Justine pointed out.

"Yeah." They shared an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, "How's Adrien doing? Is he excited?"

"Very." Justine grinned, "He'z over ze moon about eet. I'm not sure how everyone else is taking it."

"It's strange." Fiona observed, "I haven't heard Adrien say a single word."

"He'z more of the strong and silent type." Justine giggled.

"Millie's like that, too." Fiona added thoughtfully. Justine, who was sitting closest to the staff table, was half turned to look at Fiona. She glanced slightly to the side, and her eyes landed on something in the doorway to the Great Hall. Justine's mouth dropped open.

"Ah." She squeaked.

"What's wrong?" Fiona asked, watching her companion with concern. Justine didn't answer, she just stared intently at the doors with wide eyes. Fiona twisted in her seat to see what was distressing the French girl. But when she saw the huge, grizzly man with an overcoat standing in the doorway she jumped to her feet and took off running. "Hagrid!" She shouted, throwing her arms around the big man's stomach.

"Fiona." Hagrid laughed, patting the top of her head, "Good to see you."

"You're back!" Fiona took a step back and grinned. Hagrid was the keep of the keys and grounds at Hogwarts, and had been for over 50 years. He lived in a small hut on the edge of the grounds, bordering the Forbidden Forest. That is, until the previous. Over that summer he had decided to finally pursue his love of dragon and travel to Romania for a year. Since Owls had the good sense to avoid Dragons, they couldn't send or receive many letters and Hagrid had been out of the loop for a while now.

"I'm back." Hagrid confirmed, "And I've got loads of stories to tell you. I expect the lot of you to come over for dinner tomorrow night. And I hear you've got some big news yourself." He put his hand on the girl's shoulder as he laughed, "I stopped at the Potters on my way here and they told me that _you've_ got a new boyfriend."

"Yep." Fiona answered at once.

"Congratulations! And if you don't mind my saying, I knew it the whole time. Saw it coming a mile away. How about the two of you come over earlier tomorrow? We can have tea."

"Sounds great, Hagrid."

"And the Triwizard Tournament's this year, sorry I missed the picking of the Champions." The half-giant apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Our friend Millie is the Hogwarts Champion..."

"Millie?" Hagrid repeated blankly, "I don't think I know Millie."

"Of course you do. Amelia Keen, she was in Care of Magical Creatures with James and I."

"Oh." Hagrid said, indicating for her to continue even though he still couldn't match Millie's name with a face.

"And we made friends with some of the Beauxbatons students." She turned around and saw Justine still seated on the bench, watching Fiona and Hagrid speak with a shocked expression. Fiona crooked her finger at her. Justine stood and slowly made her way to where the other two were standing. "Hagrid, this is Justine Klasse. She and her brother, Didier, have been sitting with us. And her boyfriend, Adrien Depaul, is the Beuxbatons Champion. Justine, this is Rubeus Hagrid. Hogwarts Groundskeeper, a good friend, and he teaches one of the classes here."

"Good to meet you." Hagrid said, roughly shaking Justine's hand, "Not to be rude, but I must be telling McGonagall that I'm back. And I've got a few..err..." His ruddy cheeks burned red, "creatures to attend to." With that, the Keeper of the Keys turned and walked back out of the great hall. Fiona and Justine looked at each other, utterly bewildered.

* * *

**Review!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	9. Reunion

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 9. Reunion_  
**

"Sit." Fiona ordered. It was late and the common room had emptied out with the exception of James, Fiona, and Rose. James sat obediently on the couch and looked at the two girls in front of him quizzically. Fiona was watching Rose expectantly while the fourth year wrung her hands nervously. "Rose has something to tell you."

"And you're going to listen to all of it before you say anything." Rose added, uncharacteristically apprehensive. James nodded and Fiona sat down next to him, both of them waited for Rose to speak. "So," Rose cleared her throat, "I made a new friend."

"And?" James prompted.

"He's a fourth year, like me. He's really nice, and he's trying our for Quidditch. He's pretty smart, too, it makes him fun to talk to. He's sincere, he likes to hear about other people, and he always tells me the truth."

"That sounds good?" James posed it as a question, confused, "Who is he?"

"Er, he's a Slytherin." James raised his eyebrows. Rose looked at Fiona who mouthed "name". Rose cleared her throat again before revealing, "Scorpius Malfoy." James's eyebrows shot up even further.

"Malfoy? Really?" He seemed curious.

"But he's not a bad person!" Rose added quickly, "I really like him. And it's not like he's done anything wrong..."

"Okay." Her cousin said.

"And he's...Wait, what?" She must have misheard him.

"I said okay." James repeated, "Is that what you wanted to talk about? You don't need my permission to make friends."

"But-but- er, _Malfoy_!" She repeated for emphasis.

"Well, I've never met him." James shrugged, "But I'm trusting your judgment, if you want to be friends you don't need my approval."

"Really? Just like that?" Rose asked in disbelief.

"Just like that." James smiled. Rose was so overjoyed that she catapulted onto the couch and hugged her older cousin in a very un-Roselike fashion.

"That's great! That's so great! It's perfect! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"There was really no reason for me to say otherwise." James said after Rose let go. She sat back on her knees, her giddiness fading.

"I know, you're very reasonable...most of the time. But, truthfully, I'm worried about Albus."

"Oh." James sucked in a breath, "I guess you're right about that one. I doubt Albus will be happy about it."

"But if he gets mad, you'll talk to him, won't you?" Rose asked.

"Of course." James put an arm around her shoulders, "I've got your back."

"Thank you!" Rose hugged him again, "You are the best cousin _ever_!"

"And don't forget it." The girl giggled before insisting that she needed to go to bed and racing happily up the stairs to the dormitory.

"Aw, you're such a good person." Fiona complimented, wrapping her arms around James's left arm and pulling herself close to him. He absently kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, I'm such a giver." He joked. They were silent for a minute.

"Rose is just worried that the others won't understand." Fiona said.

"Most of them will. I think Albus will be the tricky one. Lily feels strongly about things but she could never be mad at Rose. I think most of us will be on her side."

"Except Albus." Fiona sighed sadly, "And he's her best friend."

"I'm sure they'll work it out." James winced at a sudden thought, "I don't want to explain it to Uncle Ron, though." The idea of Rose's father finding out about her friendship with his old enemy wasn't a pleasant one.

"I bet your parents will talk him down."

"Assuming that _my_ dad won't get mad."

"He won't." Fiona assured him, "He's a very understanding person, your dad."

"It didn't take long for things to get complicated." James said dejectedly, "And I was just hoping for this to be a normal year."

"At Hogwarts, there's no such thing."

* * *

"I don't want to answer a bunch of uncomfortable boyfriend-girlfriend questions." James complained as he stood with Fiona on Hagrid's doorstep the next afternoon.

"I'm sure he won't do that." Fiona said.

"He'll want to know the story." James said in horror.

"Great, I love telling the story." Fiona grinned in an attempt to comfort him.

"I hate the story, it's so embarrassing."

"Then make up another story." His girlfriend suggested.

"You can't just..." He cut off as he considered the possibilities.

"Or." Fiona suggested as she reached out and knocked on the door, "We can wing it." James grimaced just as Hagrid opened the door, his body filling the massive door frame.

"There ya are!" He said loudly, reaching out and pulling the two into a giant bear-hug. "Good t' see ya again!"

"Hi Hagrid!" Fiona squeaked.

"Can't..breathe." James gasped. Hagrid released them immediately and stepped back to allow them entry to his humble hut.

"Sorry 'bout that, it's just been a while since we've seen each other."

"Yes, it has." Fiona smiled and crouched down to scratch the ears of Hagrid's Bullmastiff, who was laying on his cushion in the corner, "Hi Rex! I missed you too!" She cooed at the dog. Rex's tail started to wag, banging a forceful rhythm against the floor of the hut as he repeatedly lifted his tail and slammed it down again. She straightened and took a seat at the giant table next to James while Hagrid fixed his flowered apron around him self and pushed a kettle of water over the fire. He picked up a platter of his infamous rock cakes and set them down in the middle of the table. Fiona took one politely while James muttered something about not being hungry.

"So." Hagrid heaved himself into one of the chairs. Fiona took the opportunity to rip a piece of cake off and feed it to the ever-gleeful Rex. Hagrid set his permanently-gnarled hands on the table, observing the two with his wrinkled black eyes. His fierce mane and beard were shot with gray, Hagrid was getting up on years, though never showed it in the way he acted.

"I suppose you want to hear the story?" James asked nervously.

"Nope." Hagrid answered simply.

"Huh?" James asked. Fiona tossed another piece of cake to Rex.

"I heard mostly everything at your parents' before coming." James thought about this for a minute. He was _pretty_ sure he hadn't shared all of the details with his parents. However, he didn't know if Albus or Lily had filled them in. He doubted that it would occur to Albus to tell them, and Lily (though a big-mouth who loved to talk) was easily distracted and unaware of things around her, she might not have even _known_ the whole story. "While I was visiting the Potter's, I ran into your mother, Fiona." Fiona paused, a hunk of cake in her hand and Rex waiting anxiously for it.

"Well, that explains it." Fiona said simply, "I tell my mother everything, I even asked her for advice a couple times."

"Yup." Hagrid nodded, then he stared at Fiona, scrutinizing, "Landon Longbottom, huh?" Fiona blushed and James looked around awkwardly. "I've got to say I never saw that coming. At first when I heard about it I couldn't believe it. But the more I thought about it, the more I could see it. Sorry I missed that." Fiona bit her lip and James raised his eyebrows. Hagrid cleared his throat and quickly backtracked. "Not to say that I'd prefer...I just, wish I could have been here, for all of you, last year."

"But you were in Romania!" Fiona grinned, "With dragons! Your lifetime dream! What was that like?"

"I spent most of my time around the training camp. Your Uncle Charlie was very helpful, he was always willing to explain things. He's a fun guy." Hagrid said. James grinned, remembering the few experiences he'd had with his most elusive Uncle. His favorite of which involved the gift of a stuffed dragon that breathed fire. Unfortunately, James, only nine at the time, didn't know how to control it and set the living room drapes on fire. The two had a laugh about it until Ginny entered the room. The sight of the drapes caused her to confiscate her son's toy and beat her older brother with a wooden spoon.

"Anything exciting happen?" Fiona asked.

"Nothing too much, for dragons, ya know." Hagrid shrugged, "Back to you two. Marina filled me in on what she knew, but I'd like to know if there's anything you want to add."

"Not much." James answered quickly. Fiona tossed her last morsel to the waiting dog. "I think you've probably heard the whole story." Hagrid burst out laughing.

"Anxious, aren't ya?" He boomed.

"Behave." Fiona hissed, slapping her boyfriend on the arms before turning back to the groundskeeper with a smile. "We want to go traveling after school. Just for a while, mind you. I want to show James all of my favorite places across the world. I want us to be like my family, the ones who travel everywhere. I loved that when I was growing up."

"I bet." The kettle began to whistle and Hagrid stood up. He put on his oven mitts and pulled the kettle off the fire. He poured the water into his tea pot and poured some out into the giant mugs he set in front of his two guests. "You're plannin' pretty far ahead."

"Well, why not?" Fiona shrugged. Hagrid laughed again while they all sipped their tea. "Hagrid, are you excited for the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Excited, nervous, interested, you name it." Hagrid grinned, "But I'm a little surprised you didn't get the job as champion, James."

James shrugged, indifferent, "I don't think I could handle being champion. I'm just as happy not getting it."

"I 'spose it would be a little unfair if the Potters never gave anyone else a chance." Hagrid agreed, "So how about the girl who _is_ champion?"

"You can ask her when she gets here." Fiona said, "The others will be here soon."

"Try as I might I can't picture her face." Hagrid mused, "I just can't remember her."

"She's not the kind of person to make a big impression." James explained.

"You'll know her when you see her." Fiona insisted, "She'll be coming with the others soon."

"Oh? Who _is_ coming?" Hagrid asked.

"You know, Rose, Albus, Hugo, Lily, her friend Ella, and Millie." Fiona answered, bending in her chair to scratch Rex's ears.

"How was Lily's first year at Hogwarts?"

"You know Lily." James shrugged while Fiona laughed, "She pranced about all year with barely a thought in her head. Actually, it went pretty well. In comparison."

"In comparison to what?" Hagrid inquired.

"Did you hear about the school burning down last spring?" Fiona asked as she straightened, blushing slightly.

"Burning down?" The Groundskeeper was appalled.

"I'll take that as a no." James said, Fiona nodded, "Albus and Rose decided to do a few experimental spells last year. For the first spell they did a lot of research, and they asked Fiona for help in casting it. But then Albus's head got too big and they attempted the next one themselves. Their first enchantment turned out pretty well, but this one ended badly. They set a tapestry on fire and the flames spread to the rest of the school pretty fast, everyone had to evacuate."

"I hope no one was hurt."

"No lasting damage." Fiona assured him, "But now Rose and Albus are serving detention for the rest of their lives and are restricted to the school for the year."

"I'm surprised they weren't expelled." Hagrid commented.

"So were we." James assured him with a grin, "Apparently Dumbledore stood up for them." That made Hagrid laugh.

"I believe that." He boomed happily. There was a light knock on the door and Hagrid stood to answer it. He opened the large wood door to reveal Albus, Rose, Millie, Lily, and Ella.

"Hey, Hagrid!" Lily said loudly, throwing herself at the large man and wrapping her arms around his legs (all of him that she could reach).

"Hi, you lot." Hagrid laughed and stepped back, "Come in."

* * *

**Review!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	10. Tea Party

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 10. Tea Party_  
**

"I thought Hugo was coming." Hagrid commented as he began to close the door behind his new guests.

"I'm here!" Someone shouted loudly from the grounds. Hugo rushed through the door and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Puzzled, Hagrid closed the door. Hugo's puffy brown hair was in disarray, pointing straight up and his robe was a bit ruffled. "Sorry," He gasped as he took a seat, "I fell asleep on my Muggle Studies book."

"You know, they make great pillows nowadays." Rose said dryly, earning herself a glare from her little brother.

"I had homework." He retorted.

"Of course you did." She rolled her eyes. Hagrid poured them all a cup of tea and produced some more rock cakes that no one dared to touch.

"So, I take it you're Ella." He addressed the second year. She jumped and nodded nervously. Hagrid then gave Millie a speculative look, "Then you must be Millie, the champion." Millie also nodded and Hagrid let loose a booming laugh, "Well, you don't look like much, I'll give you that. But who am I to question the Goblet?" Hagrid took his seat and looked across the table at Millie, who was blushing, "What about the other two champions, who are they?" Everyone looked expectantly at the shy seventh-year, she cleared her throat.

"Er, Adrien Depaul. From Beauxbatons. I haven't actually heard him say anything yet."

"Justine says that he's excited." Fiona interrupted.

"He sure doesn't show it." Albus muttered.

"And Sergei Stolojan." Millie continued as though they hadn't spoken, "He talks plenty. He's _very_ confident that he'll win." She smiled slightly, "He's always talking about how easy it will be to beat us."

"Then why are you smiling?" Hugo asked.

"Because he's funny." Millie shrugged, "Professor Strathough said he's gifted but doesn't know how to use his potential. What he said what that you do surprisingly little right when you think you can do wrong."

"Quite a combination." Jame observed.

"When's the first task?" Hagrid asked.

"November 20th." The Champion answered promptly, "They won't tell us what it is."

"Then I guess all you can do for now is study your basics and hope it's enough." Hagrid sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Hagrid, tell us about Romania." Lily begged, "Tell us about the Dragons."

"Well," The half-giant laughed, "They're interesting little buggers, I'll tell you. Owls and other animals won't go near them, when we contain them we have to feed them meat by the barrel-full. There are debates going on about how it isn't fair of us to deny them to hunt, but if we release them while we're studying them they'll end up hunting _us_. Living in a bunker for a year sure makes a man miss home." Hagrid looked around his tiny palace, "One of my favorite things was seeing these dragons at night. Some of them you could hardly see at all, some of them practically glowed. And you could see them all outlined against the darkness when they shot fire. I think that, unless they're hunting, Dragons aren't particularly fond of the dark, that's why they make their own light. When there were Dragons around there was never a minute of darkness. Beautiful creatures." He stared off hazily.

"How's Uncle Charlie?" Hugo asked.

"He's Charlie." Hagrid laughed, "He was stumbled upon an abandoned Dragon's nest in the mountains. From the marks on the rocks it appeared that the mother had gotten into a fight with another Dragon while protecting her eggs. The eggs were cold, showing us that the mother had not returned. Charlie brought them back to camp with the plan to keep them until they hatch, at which point we could find it a surrogate family and release them in the wild. One night, he had taken one of the eggs for individual study and it started to hatch. It broke out of it's shell right in front of him. Now, when Dragons hatch, they aren't exactly like chicken, who adopt their mother to be the first face they see. A Dragon's mother will be there at the hatching and force-feed it. Charlie, forgetting himself, fed it. We tried putting the little bloke back with it's siblings, but it always found it's way back to Charlie. Eventually, he had to accept it and it's been following him around ever since. He's having a lot more luck that people normally do with dragons. He's teaching it not to savage anything, or breath fire when near people. It's going well, he's named it Cludo."

"He's raising a Dragon?" Rose asked, appalled.

"In all fairness, it's what he does for a living." Hagrid shrugged, "This time it's just a bit more personal." His eye was caught by something on Rose's robes. "Merlin, Rose, what's that on your chest?" Rose looked down, alarmed but only saw her Quidditch Captains badge.

"My badge?"

"Your _captian's_ badge." Hagrid clarified, with a glance at James he continued, "I'm once again surprised. Congratulations." James shifted uncomfortably as Rose beamed.

"Yup, I was surprised too. But since Ace graduated last year we needed a new captain. And without E.G we didn't have a captain. We were the first ones to hold tryouts. Margaret Creevey is our new Keeper and Alby Lennon is out new beater."

"You've got your new players already?" Hagrid was impressed, "You're way ahead of the game."

"I know." Rose nodded happily, "That's why Scorpius suggested...it..." She trailed off, her eyes wide. She made a gesture and opened her mouth, as though trying to get her last words to jump back in. Unfortunately the damage was done, everyone stared at her and she met Albus's quizzical gaze.

"When were you talking to Scorpius Malfoy?" He asked evenly.

"During Ancient Runes." Rose answered. Albus's eyebrows moved together. "We sit next to each other."

"Rose." Fiona said wearily. Rose looked her way and saw that Fiona and James were watching her encouragingly.

"He's a...friend of mine." Rose explained, turning back to Albus.

"A friend?" Albus repeated blankly, "Is that why you wouldn't drop the class?"

"Not the _only _reason..." Rose began.

"Scorpius _Malfoy_?" Albus continued, eyes flashing with anger.

"Wait, before you say anything about him-"

"Huh." Albus interrupted. Calmly, too calmly, he stood.

"Albus!" But Albus had already closed the door behind him. Rose rushed to the door and opened it, watching Albus stride across the darkening lawn to the castle. Slowly, she closed the door and took her seat. "He's mad." She muttered to herself, though everyone heard her, as she hid her face in her arms.

"Who's Scorpius?" Lily asked.

"A Malfoy." Hugo answered with his usual distracted manner, he was reading a text book under the table. He looked up from his book to narrow his eyes at Rose, "And Da's always told us about Malfoys."

"Don't go there." Rose's voice was muffled.

"I'm just saying he has a point." Hugo returned to his book. Rose's head snapped up.

"He doesn't!" She gasped, outraged, "Da's biased. He doesn't even _know_ Scorpius. I do, and he's not so bad."

"And why are you taking his Quidditch advice?" Hugo retorted icily.

"Calm down, everyone." James stood, demanding everyone's attention. He looked from his cousins' restful glares to Lily and Ella's wide eyes. "Cool it, Hugo. Give Rose a little credit, she's a big girl and is perfectly able to pick her own friends. None of us can say anything about that. And we can't give any reason for her _not_ to be friends with him, he hasn't done anything." He met Hugo's eyes until the younger boy looked down with a shrug, returning to his book.

"Thanks." Rose mumbled as James sat down again. Lily tugged on her cousin's sleeve. When Rose looked at her the younger girl grinned.

"Can I meet your new friend?" She asked eagerly.

"Sure." Rose answered, gratefully patting Lily's head.

"Will you talk to Albus?" Fiona whispered to James, who didn't look away from Rose and Hugo, who was no longer interested in the drama.

"I said I would, didn't I?" He replied. Fiona smiled and kissed his cheek.

* * *

James pointed his wand at a bit of earth behind the castle. As though lifted by an invisible shovel, dirt began to lift and deposit itself next to the hole the young wizard was digging. Fiona, next to him, was removing her now-heavy robe. While at Hagrid's the giant had insisted that each of his guests take some cakes for the road. Not wanting to be rude, they all filled their pockets. After leaving the hut, however, the cakes were given to Fiona and James, who would bury them behind the castle since they had nothing else to do with them. It was dark, Fiona squinted as she looked for James's robe, which was blending in with the dark ground. She set her robe on top of his and turned to look at her boyfriend, who had been digging silently for several minutes.

"What's the matter?" She asked as she stood next to him.

"Nothing." James answered halfheartedly. Fiona looped her arms around James's left and hugged it.

"Are you upset about Ablus?" She pressed.

"He'll come around." James's face was void of emotion, "Even if I didn't talk to him, he'd come around eventually."

"Then what's wrong?" Fiona watched carefully as James slowly lowered his wand, the dirt stopped its movement immediately.

"I feel disappointed." He answered at last.

"How so?"

"Or like I'm disappointing people." James folded himself on the ground, Fiona knelt on the soft earth next to him, "I mean, did you see the way Hagrid looked at me? I thought I was okay with not being Quidditch Captain and Hogwarts Champion. But people were expecting me to. I'm a Potter, my father is famous and I'm not doing anything extraordinary at all. Quidditch Captain went to my little cousin and the Goblet chose a timid muggle-born. Over the son of the great Harry Potter? It's like, if I can't be like him, if I can't be special, what good am I?"

"Oh, James." Fiona nuzzled her nose against his shoulder, "You _are_ special."

"Not like my dad." Jame answered dubiously.

"No one can be special like your dad." Fiona informed him dryly, "He's a legend. I know you feel like you're letting people down, but everyone needs to stop comparing you to your father. That's all it is, you know. You can't expect to be like your dad, and you shouldn't worry about disappointing people. You can't control who's champion and who's captain. You can just be James."

"James." He repeated, "James was supposed to be great, like his dad. James was supposed to walk in his footsteps. James was supposed to be champion. I saw it in Hagrid's eyes, he expected _me_ to be Champion."

"Stop this. You don't even want to be Champion, you have to work hard for your N.E.. You don't have to stand out, there's nothing wrong with being a regular person no matter _who_ your dad is."

"I didn't expect to feel like this." James muttered, "And I do just want to be part of the crowd, I don't want to be extraordinary."

"You're extraordinary without even trying, whether you like it or not." Fiona laughed, "But this is something your father never had, for us this can just be a normal year." Reflexively, James pulled away.

"I wish everyone would stop with this 'normal year' business." He snapped, unnerved. He stood quickly, then sighed, "But you're right. I shouldn't feel bad."

"That's the spirit." Fiona jumped up next to him. She picked up their robes and emptied the contents of their pockets into the hole. Then James lifted his wand and pushed the dirt back into the hole, burying the rock cakes for good. Only when they were sure they'd left no evidence the two donned their robes and turned back to the castle, holding hands, like any regular couple, they went to bed.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy lately. So I give you a nice, one-day chapter. For some reason I picture Hugo with Goku hair.  
**

**Review!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	11. More Than Ever

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 11. More Than Ever_  
**

"Is it really worth getting upset over?" James's voice was muffled to Fiona and Millie who had their ears pressed against the door to the boys' dormitory.

"I'm not upset." Was Albus's surly reply, "And if it's such a good thing, why was she so ashamed to tell me?"

"Is _that_ why you're upset?"

"Like you're one to talk!" With a sigh, Fiona pulled away from the door, Millie (who had to be persuaded to join in the first place) was quick to follow her down the stairs to the common room.

"Rose is taking this really hard." Fiona admitted as the two girls sat down.

"Why? I mean, he doesn't even seem that mad." Millie pointed out.

"Oh, he's mad." Her friend replied darkly, "It may not look like it, but it's a big deal. See, Rose and Albus never fight, not for real. Sure they argue and disagree all the time, but they never get _angry_ with each other. This is madder than he's ever been with her. Rose is scared because it's so new, we don't really know how this is going to end. We don't know if Albus holds a grudge or forgives her because they're best friends. We don't know if he'll ignore her, ignore the issue, take it out on Scorpius, take it out on Rose, forgive them, forbid the friendship, it's completely new territory and that's what's got her so nervous."

"But he'll forgive her in the end, right?" Millie asked.

"No way of knowing." Fiona shrugged, "Personally, I think so. Albus and Rose are like ying and yang, they can't really function properly without each other. He'll come around."

"But what if he's right." Millie whispered. Fiona's skin prickled, she hadn't thought of that.

"Right about what?" She asked icily.

"Well," Millie folded her fingers in her lap and avoided her friend's eyes, "Hugo said that their Da didn't like Mr. Malfoy. They'd heard of him. What if Mr. Malfoy told Scorpius the same thing? The same stories? What if he told his son how rotten the Potters and Weasleys are and how he should beat them in every test? What if Scorpius doesn't really want to be friends either? What if he's just avenging his father?"

"That's silly and highly improbable." _But not impossible_ Her mental voice added. Fiona sighed, "But we're forgetting about Rose. She wouldn't do anything stupid, and she's a good judge of character. If she says that they're friends, we should listen."

"I know, I know." Millie said quickly, "I was just trying to see things from Albus's point of view."

"You think that's why he's mad?" Fiona asked.

"I don't think he's mad at all." Millie clarified, "I think he's worried about his best friend. I think he doesn't want her to get hurt and when he says he's mad about being betrayed or lied to, it's really just a smoke screen to hide how scared he is."

"Huh. I hadn't thought of it that way." Fiona admitted, her companion merely shrugged.

Albus sure _thought_ he was mad. He didn't hear Millie explanation. Maybe she was right, or maybe she wasn't. All Albus knew was that his blood was boiling with rage. Even though the rational side of him understood his older brother and agreed with him, Albus couldn't stop seeing red. Yes, he wanted Rose to be happy and have other friends. But he didn't like Scorpius Malfoy. He didn't like Scorpius Malfoy. Did he have any reason? No. Any valid arguments? No. He couldn't for the life of him define why he was so angry at everyone. He didn't want Rose and Scorpius anywhere near each other.

"She knew you'd react like this." James said on an exhale.

"She knew because she agrees with me, deep down. She knows I should be mad."

"She knew you'd _get_ mad." James corrected his younger brother, "Because she knows you. She knows when you'd be logical and when you wouldn't."

"She's one to talk about logic." Albus snorted.

"Hey, Albus." James sat down wearily on one of the beds next to his brother, "You can't stop Rose from being friends with who she wants. It's not like Scorpius is a bad guy, he sounds shy. You can't tell her who to like, you can just stick by her."

"I don't like this." Albus mumbled.

James waited a beat before saying, "Remember Amy?" Albus looked up, surprised.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Fiona didn't like her." James smiled, "She didn't want to be friends with her, she didn't want _me_ to be friends with her. But she wasn't mad at me because I liked spending time with Amy. She just made her feelings clear and stepped back."

"You should've listened. Amy turned out..."

"Amy's not all bad. I really did like her, you know. In the end, it was Amy who decided that I needed to sever my friendship with one of them."

"And you picked Fiona because you've known her longer." Albus shrugged.

"Maybe," James sighed, "Amy was crushed, you know, and Fiona felt guilty about it. You don't really want to make her choose. Someone will get hurt."

"I never said I'd make her choose."

"You're acting like it. You need to talk to her. Otherwise it will seem that while she's Scorpius's friend, she can't be _your_ friend. Is that what you want?"

"No." Albus muttered, "So I'm not allowed to be mad?"

"You can be mad if you want, though that's never any fun. I just want you to give Rose some grace, she doesn't often make bad decisions. You don't have to like Scorpius if you don't want to, but if you're Rose's friend you'll respect her right to be friends with him."

"I guess you're right." Albus said quietly, resigned.

"I know." James clapped his brother on the shoulder, "I think she's at the Quidditch Pitch. Don't leave her in suspense, she's really upset." James stood and left the dormitory while the younger boy frowned. He hadn't meant to _upset_ Rose. Even though he had never been this mad at her in his life...but...was it really Rose he was mad at?

* * *

Rose watched the Slytherins fly around the Pitch out of puffy red eyes. Her arms were wrapped around her writhing stomach, she hadn't felt very well after Albus stormed out of Hagrid's hut the night before. Consequently, she hadn't been able to stop crying for more than 10 minutes either. Albus was mad at her, she knew. He was really, _really_ mad. She'd never really made him made before. Exasperated and irritable, yes. But mad? Her stomach squeezed a little tighter and she grimaced. She tried to focus on the Quidditch Tryouts. After all, she was there to support Scorpius, not wallow in her own misery. What was more, she felt bad for worrying Scorpius, who had spotted her before tryouts started and waved, she returned the wave halfheartedly. Scorpius had turned back to his broom, puzzled. Rose hoped he wasn't too distracted to play his best. At first she didn't notice when Albus came and sat next to her. He watched his cousin for a couple minutes, eyebrows drawn together and lips turned down. He saw that Rose's hair was a bit disheveled, and that her face was drawn, he saw her clutching his stomach and she looked as though she had been crying, a _lot_. Albus shrunk away guiltily, so he really _had_ upset her. He continued to watch her until she turned to look back at him. When Rose turned, she jumped when she realized that her cousin was next to her.

"Albus!" She squeaked, half-relieved, half-terrified, "I am so sorr-" Albus firmly placed his hand over her mouth, cutting her off before she got a chance to apologize.

"I need to say something." He said as he shifted uncomfortably. Rose nodded, eyes wide, and Albus removed his hand. "Give me a minute." He said. Rose waited patiently while Albus spent a few moments gazing out over the field, not seeing anything. "I'm sorry, about the way I behaved. No, let me finish." He insisted when Rose opened her mouth. She clamped it shut again and Albus continued, "I shouldn't have acted like that, it was immature. You can pick your own friends, I know that. And it's certainly no reason for _us_ to stop being friends. I don't want to make you feel bad for spending time with someone else, even if he _is_ a Malfoy. It's none of my business." Rose opened her mouth again, then thought better of it and closed it again. "I don't approve." Albus continued, "I don't think I'll ever approve. I don't like him, I don't trust him. But it's not my place to judge him. So, I don't really care that you're friends with Scorpius Malfoy. Just be careful, okay?" Rose nodded again. "Okay, now you can talk."

"Albus, I've been meaning to tell you." Rose admitted, "I never found a good time. I really didn't want you to find out like that. I wanted to explain everything to you first. So, I'm sorry for that."

"Don't be." He shrugged. They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the players pass the Quaffle around. "What's he trying out for?" Albus asked finally.

"Chaser." Rose answered promptly, "I had to talk him into it, but he's good."

"How do you know that?"

"I challenged him to a scrimmage last week after we held tryouts." Rose blushed. _Last week_, Albus wondered. He took a moment to carefully phrase his next question.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked softly.

"You were in the library."

"That's not what I mean." Albus corrected, "Why did James and Fiona know? Why did you just tell me?"

"I thought you'd be mad." Rose answered, ashamed, "And I was right."

"I'm not _mad_, exactly. I feel kind of..." He paused, searching his vocabulary for a word that fit his feelings, Rose waited. "I don't get very mad at you." Albus explained, "And not matter what you do, I won't be able to _stay_ mad. You're my very best friend and my cousin, I don't know what I'd do without you. That doesn't mean that you can get away with everything, I can still be angry with you. But I know that we'll always find a way to work it out. So no matter what it is, no matter how mad you think it might make me, you need to tell me. Then we can talk about it, and we'll always be friends, no matter what. So don't be afraid to talk to me and I'll talk to you. Deal?"

"Deal." Rose agreed, she took a deep breath, "I was walking to dinner with Scorpius the other day, Fiona saw us. I didn't mean for anyone to see us. Scorpius left and I talked her about it. And you know Fiona," She smiled crookedly, "she won't keep a secret. So I talked to James about it the next day. They told me to tell you, and I should have. But James said he'd talk to you if you got mad."

"He did. He made me feel like an idiot."

"Sorry."

"I deserved it." Albus shrugged. The hopeful Chasers were called up one by one to try and score against the team's keeper. Scorpius threw the first time and the Quaffle went through the hoop farthest from the keeper. Rose made an impressed noise and applauded with the watching crowd. Albus observed his cousin again; her lips were loose and the tips of her mouth were upturned in a small, relaxed smile, her eyes sparkled as she watched Scorpius retrieve the Quaffle and return for his second round. For that moment, she didn't look like she had been crying, the sadness was out of her eyes and replaced with pride. _She really likes him_, he noted, _I hope she knows what she's doing_.

* * *

**Last chapter has gotten 0 reviews. Actually, I updated 2 stories that day and neither of them have gotten reviewed. *Dejection***

**Don't be silent, I want to be in your miiiiiind!  
Press it  
**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	12. Worse For Wear

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 12. Worse For Wear_  
**

Rose rushed into Ancient Runes the next day. Scorpius was already sitting at their table, Rose ran over and slammed her books down on the table in excitement.

"Did they post the results?" She demanded before she had even taken her seat.

"Yes." Scorpius answered calmly.

"And?" Rose pressed, "Did you make the team?" Her desk mate looked at her blankly for a moment before, slowly, nodding. "Seriously?"

"Yes." Scorpius said. Rose squealed and threw her arms around his neck.

"That's great! I knew it, didn't I tell you so? Aren't you glad you listened to me?" Scorpius, stiff with surprise, didn't answer her.

"Er, Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Hugging you?" Rose pulled away and looked at her blushing friend.

"Sorry," He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "You just surprised me."

"Congratulations on making the team." Rose giggled, "They've posted the match schedule, our first game is against Ravenclaw on November 12th."

"What about the tournament?"

"The first task isn't until the 20th." She waved a hand in dismissal. Scorpius nodded and looked down, struggling with something. Rose watched him for a while as he thought, then he looked up awkwardly.

"I saw Albus was at the tryouts." He said finally. It was Rose's turn to blush as she nodded. "And you looked sad before he showed up."

"I..." Rose cleared her throat, "I accidentally told him that we were friends."

"Accidentally?"

"I've been meaning to tell him, you know. But it kind of slipped out before I was ready. He got mad at me." She shuddered at the memory.

"And?"

"And he never gets mad at me. It was weird. But when he came to talk to me at the Quidditch pitch, he said he wasn't mad at me, it was strange. So he knows and he's okay with it."

"That's good." Scorpius said encouragingly, seeing his redheaded friend looking thoughtful instead of relieved.

"I know." She said quickly, "He doesn't like you, so he doesn't approve, but he's accepted that we're friends. James talked to him." She sunk deeper into her thoughts.

"What's the matter?" Scorpius wanted to know.

"Nothing." Rose shrugged, "I just wonder what he said."

* * *

Albus was also wondering about his talk with James. He paid careful attention to his older brother that night at dinner. Amy, James kept mentioning Amy, and Albus was suspicious. He watched as James kept glancing down the Gryffindor table to where Amy and Landon were sitting. Albus couldn't quite read the expression on James's face, but he looked a little sad. Albus worried about whether or not Fiona had noticed her boyfriend staring down the table at someone else. But he was surprised when Fiona looked at James, she took in expression and looked resigned as she followed his eyes down the table to Amy and Landon. She saw him staring, and she didn't say anything. This made Albus curious, why didn't Fiona say something? James didn't still like Amy, did he? And Fiona wouldn't think anything of it, would she?

"James." Justine said sharply, pulling all three of them back to reality. James looked at Justine, who was looking at him oddly and she said, "Would you pass me a roll?"

"Of course." James muttered, passing the french girl a piece of bread. She took it puzzled. James looked away, determined to keep from looking back down the table, Fiona looked embarrassed, and Albus watched the pair awkwardly.

"What was that?" Rose whispered to Albus, who merely shrugged.

"As I was saying," Justine said, "I cannot wait to see ze Quidditch game."

"Don't you play at Beauxbatons?" Rose inquired.

"We only 'ave two teams." Didier explained, "Not many people get to play."

"And eet iz not very competitive." Justine added, "Since we 'ave no 'ouses, only ze people playing benefit from winning."

"Then you're going to love watching us play! Gryffindor is going to win, right Rose?" Lily asked excitedly.

"Of course." Her cousin replied.

"We should be a lot better this year, without Ace." James commented. Rose stiffened, she hadn't gotten along with last year's Captain, Ace.

"But Ace was good." Demi, who was sitting between Millie and James, interjected, "That's why he got to be Captain."

"But he wasn't a leader." James pointed out, "Rose is good _and_ a leader."

"We're unstoppable!" Lily cheered.

"Come on, we'd better do our homework." Fiona laughed, tweaking Lily's nose. The group rose and began to make their way out of the Great Hall, but Albus grabbed Rose's elbow and held her back.

"Wait." He said, glancing at Fiona and James's retreating backs, "There's something I want to tell you."

* * *

Fiona sat on the bottom step of the grand staircase later that night. Her chin was propped on her knees and she was staring hazily forward. Next to her, Rose sat with her legs and arms crossed, watching the older girl think patiently. After completing their homework, Rose had asked Fiona to step outside for a talk. After Albus clued Rose in on the mysterious emotions surrounding Amy, she couldn't wait for an answer. While Albus had sat through the day formulating possibilities, Rose had decided to go straight to the source. Now with the simple question on in the open, she waited for an answer.

"Amy's not a bad person, you know." Fiona muttered. She had hoped no one saw the way she looked at James when his thoughts were on Amy. This hadn't been the first time she caught him staring at the pretty blond, and she had never mentioned it. He always looked sad, like he had lost something, Fiona hated that it was _her_ fault he felt that way. She had made Amy angry, multiple times, and James had paid for it by losing a friend. Fiona knew that James had had other feelings for Amy. She knew it too well. And she knew he must wonder sometimes what had happened if he had chosen Amy instead of Fiona. Fiona wondered it herself. That was what she thought when she caught James staring at someone else, she thought it every time she saw Amy and Landon together. "She and James were very close."

"Not as close as you are." Rose answered immediately, "But what are you thinking? When James looks at Amy, what do you think?"

"I think about how Amy insisted that James wasn't her type. I think about how much that hurt him." Fiona shook her head.

"Do you think James wishes he'd picked her?" Rose asked, appalled.

"Sometimes. It's not a serious thought, but I have to wonder..."

"Stop it." Rose cut in, "James loves you. A lot. He's so happy when you're together."

"I know." Fiona whispered, "And I love him too. But he had feelings for her, and sometimes it takes a while for those to go away."

"Well, do you still have feelings for Landon?" Rose asked. Fiona didn't answer right away. She mulled it over, thinking about Landon, thinking about how she _really_ felt when she saw Amy and Landon together. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when she saw a dark figure moving across the Entrance Hall. She jumped to her feet before recognizing the blue-black hair in the moonlight.

"Adrien." She called breathlessly, "You scared me." Adrien stopped and looked at the two girls on the stairs. Fiona crossed the hall to stand next to him, Rose followed. "What are you doing here?"

Adrien shrugged, then surprised both girls by saying, "There are no baths in the carriage." They stared at him, mouths hanging open in shock.

"But you speak perfect English!" Fiona said, "You barely have an accent."

"My mother was English." Adrien explained, "I was raised to speak English and French."

"Then why don't you ever talk?" Rose demanded.

"I don't often have anything to say." He responded.

"The strong, silent type." Fiona giggled, when the other two looked at her she quickly explained, "That's what Justine said. Do you talk to her, then?" Adrien only shrugged, back to his quiet self.

"Don't let us keep you." Rose said. Adrien nodded to them, then set off across the lawn to the Beauxbatons carriage, leaving the two girls to look at each other speechlessly.

"What do you know, he can talk." Fiona mused.

"Who knew?" Rose agreed.

"It's late, we'd better get back to bed before Filch shows up." Fiona started up the staircase but Rose didn't follow her.

"You're avoiding my question." She informed the older girl sternly.

"What question?"

"Do you still have feelings for Landon?" Rose repeated clearly. Fiona stood completely still, shadows covering her face.

"Whatever I feel for anyone, it pales in comparison next to James." Fiona stated simply before walking back up the stairs.

"Then won't he feel the same way?" Rose asked after her softly, but Fiona didn't hear.

* * *

Rose continued to enjoy Ancient Runes with her friend, Scorpius Malfoy, and Albus continued to disapprove. James was stretched thin between Rose, who insisted on long, hard practices every day she didn't have detention (and sometimes before she had to report to the Headmistress) and Fiona, who helped him prepare for his charms N.E.W.T. Needless to say, during the fall he was like any other seventh year, having a normal year. Fiona and James didn't talk about Amy or Landon as the Autumn wore on, they acted normally around each other, two normal people in love. Thanks to Rose's strict practices and keen Quidditch sense, Gryffindor won their first match against Ravenclaw. Scorpius cheered them on and, the day after, he brought a gold butterfly barrette to Ancient Runes and presented it to Rose as a "Well Done" gift. She blushed furiously as she clipped it in her hair, but she loved it. As time wore on, Millie became even quieter than normal, staring into space while chewing the insides of her cheeks. Adrien remained as silent as ever, though he often appeared to be deep in thought and was startled whenever someone addressed him during meals. To their friends, the source of their stress was apparent: The Triwizard Tournament. This was the same reason that the school began to buzz with excitement as the weeks leading up to the task continued. Millie started spending more time in the library, covering any basics that she thought she might need, and Sergei began giving entertaining impromptu victory speeches in the Entrance Hall between meal times. Before any of them knew it, fall had drawn to a close.

And the first task was upon them.

* * *

**I _hate_ this chapter. I just really, really don't like it, but I'm posting it anyway. Since it's not very good, I won't bug you to review it. Even though the last 2 chapters are without a single review and normally this would be grounds for a hiatus in writing. Luckily for you, I have a couple of chapters prewritten. So you're off the hook.  
**

**This time.  
**


	13. The First Task

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 13. The First Task_  
**

"Eat something." Fiona instructed an unusually pale Millie, who was pushing bits of egg around on her plate on the morning of the First Task. They sat with James, Lily, and Ella, no one else had arrived yet.

"I _am_ eating." The Champion insisted.

"I know that trick. Stop pushing it around, I know you haven't eaten a single bite. Eat or you'll faint in the middle of the task, is that what you want?" Millie shook her head and sighed, bringing her fork to her lips. While Fiona continued to scrutinize Millie's breakfast, their three Beauxbatons friends and Michelle walked into the Great Hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

"Sergei is preaching again." Michelle informed her friends with amusement.

"And I missed it?" Fiona asked, disappointed. She, like Millie, found enjoyment in Sergei's cocky personality. Millie was frequently in the Durmstrang Champion's audience as he gave his proud speeches. In an odd way, his lack of fear made her feel better about the upcoming trials. Fiona looked across the table at Adrien, who looked the same as ever. "Are you ready for the first task?" She asked him. He shrugged one shoulder indifferently. "Don't get too excited." She warned him sarcastically.

" 'e'z excited, 'e iz just being modest." Justine put a hand on her boyfriend's arm, "Even Jacques came to watch." At the sound of his name, the marmoset poked his head out of Justine's collar where he had been hiding.

"Jacques is coming?" Ella asked from down the table, her face lighting up.

Justine laughed as she picked Jacques off her robe and set him on the table. She gestured to Ella saying, "Look who eet iz." Jacques looked around for a moment, utterly bewildered, until he saw the tiny first year. Without any hesitation he darted around the students' plates at a run and jumped into Ella's waiting hands.

"Good morning." Rose greeted cheerfully when she arrived with Albus. They both sat down and began to fill their plates.

"That's a pretty barrette." Fiona said, "I haven't seen you wear it before."

"It's new." Rose blushed.

"C'est tres belle." Justine complimented, looking at the hair piece enviously, "You look beautiful in gold."

"It was a gift from _Scorpius_." Albus said sullenly. Rose rolled her eyes and chose to ignore him. Fiona, however, perked up at this new information.

"Oh?" She asked with a smile that caused Rose's blush to deepen, "What's the occasion?"

"He gave it to me last week as a congratulations on winning the Quidditch game."

"Then it was well earned." James said.

"How are you doing, Millie?" Rose asked, eager to change the subject. Millie smiled weakly.

"I'm fine." She said. She took a deep breath to steady herself before continuing, "It will be fine."

"That's the spirit." Fiona encouraged. She looked back at Millie's plate, "Do you promise you ate all of that?"

"I promise." Millie said shrewdly. They continued their meal with meaningless chatter, trying to keep Millie (and Adrien's) mind off the upcoming task. When the subject was brought up, like after Demi stopped by to wish the Hogwarts Champion luck, they only spoke encouragement. After a while, an unfamiliar man appeared at the open doors. He was young, dressed completely in black robes.

"Who's that?" Lily whispered to Albus and Rose, who shrugged. The man scanned the crowds of the Great Hall until his eyes locked on Millie and Adrien. He walked quickly between the tables and pulled to a stop behind Millie.

"I'm a representative from the Ministry of Magic." He explained, "I was sent to retrieve the Champions. Amelia Keen and Adrien Depaul?" The two champions nodded and slowly got to their feet. The Great Hall suddenly became quiet, everyone watched the standing champions expectantly as they followed the man from the Ministry across the hall to the Hufflepuff table where they picked up Sergei. The representative then lead the three students out the Entrance hall across the chilly school grounds and into a large tent set up close to the Quidditch pitch. Sergei talked the whole way, Millie listened happily, taking comfort in his confident words, Adrien ignored the other Champions. At first, with all the excitement of being picked as a Champion, she hadn't noticed Sergei's accent. It wasn't until she first heard him speak to the Entrance Hall when she noticed the harsh way he turned "v" into "ff" and "w" into "v". She didn't complain, though, she thought it was interesting. She also noticed that Professor Strathough didn't speak with the same accent as Sergei. Yes, the professor spoke with the same harsh tone, but he was careful to pronounce words correctly with no letter confusion.

Inside the tent, several Ministry of Magic workers were bustling around, talking to each other in quick, hushed tones. The tournament coordinator Carmello Vivet stood among professors McGonagall, Loire, and Strathough in the center of the tent. The representative who had retrieved the champions tapped Mr. Vivet on the shoulder and gestured to them. Vivet's face broke into a smile as he rushed forward, ushering the three further into the tent. The school Heads steered their respective students to the center of the tent and stood behind them.

"Here's our three champions." Vivet said happily, taking them all in, "Well, the time has come for the first task. For this task, you will each be deposited in separate catacombs."

"Catacombs?" Professor Loire asked in alarm.

"Yes. Underground." Vivet confirmed, "There are numerous catacombs beneath these grounds. Some are merely empty, others hold obstacles, others still hold three rings. The rings represent each school, when you reach these catacombs you are only to take _your school's_ ring, leave the others. There are four such catacombs spread beneath the entire Hogwarts grounds. You are to find a way to travel, staying completely underground, from place to place. You must collect each of the three rings and then head for the final catacomb, located in the center of the Quidditch pitch. This catacomb is closer to ground level than the others, so you'll need to go up as well. In this catacomb are three banners. You must collect the banner holding your school emblem and travel straight up to ground level. When you are above ground level once again, hold up your banner. You are allowed only your wand and the quicker you complete the task, the more points your school will be awarded. Now, I believe the rest of the students are being lead to the starting point. You will be escorted out when we are ready. Professors." He looked up at McGonagall, Loire, and Strathough. Professor McGonagall nodded and pat Millie's shoulder before walking briskly out of the tent. Professor Loire hesitated a moment, looking at Adrien nervously, before following. Professor Strathough didn't look nervous, he once again looked at his champion curiously, with mild interest instead of fear. After a moment Professor Strathough met Millie's eyes, winked, and followed his colleagues out of the tent leaving Millie, Adrien, and Sergei alone with the Ministry workers.

"I hope you are not afraid of the dark." Sergei taunted, eyes alight with excitement.

"The dark, no. Obstacles, yes." Millie answered, trying not to betray her nervousness around the other two.

"Obstacles." Sergei snorted. Millie almost giggled, but not quite. They waited in silence as they heard the growing roar of the crowd as their fellow students filed into the stadium. Not for the first time, Millie wished that James had become champion instead of her. She wished that she was among those students, not worrying about surviving, just enjoying the show. She wished that she was sitting in the stands with Fiona and the others, gripping her friend's hand and assuring her that James would not only be okay, but come in first place. She wished that she could cheer him on as James emerged first from the obstacle, holding the Hogwarts banner aloft as his school cheered with pride. She glanced to the side to see Sergei looking at her with an odd expression.

"What?" She asked nervously.

"Nothing." Sergei looked away quickly, shaking his head. Millie turned away from him, hoping he wouldn't read what she was thinking. James was the hero, he should have been champion. Not her.

* * *

"What are you doing? We need to get good seats." Fiona said cheerfully. Most of the school was already down at the pitch, only a few stragglers continued to scurry across the Entrance Hall and out the front door. Fiona had started down with her friends, but forgot her scarf. She ordered them all to go on as she rushed back to the dormitory for the scarf. On her way back outside she saw Justine Klasse leaning against the open front door. Justine, who had been staring across the grounds when Fiona came up behind her, turned around to look as the other girl approached. Fiona stopped, the smile fading from her face. Earlier that morning Justine had seemed confident and casual about the First Task. Now, with her boyfriend preparing to undertake the challenge, her brave facade fell apart. Her lips and eyes were tight with worry, her cheeks flushed. Fiona came to stand next to her french friend. "Are you okay?"

"No." Justine laughed humorlessly, "I don't theenk I've ever been so scared."

"Adrien will do fine." Fiona said sympathetically.

"I know. I keep telling myself zat. Ze rational part of me knows 'e will be okay. But nothing I say can make me sure." Justine smiled sheepishly, "I am being silly."

"You're not." Her friend assured her, "It's okay to be afraid. I'd be worried if you weren't."

"I..." Justine struggled for words, "Fiona, you just don't understand how I feel. There'z danger, _real_ danger. And Adrien iz in ze middle of eet."

"Of course I understand." Fiona said softly.

"You do?"

"Millie's there too, remember. And she's one of my good friends. And James is the son of the famous Harry Potter. Things aren't as bad now, but when we were younger, I would always fear for him. People, bad people who wanted power, always tried to target Harry Potter and his family. There were times that they had to disappear for their own safety. Some people will never stop hating Uncle Harry, and people will always disagree with him. The attempts have died down lately, but they'll never completely go away." Fiona sighed, "Every day he's in danger, just for being James. People want him dead just for being a Potter, I'll never stop being afraid of that."

"James can take care of 'imself." Justine said.

"Yes." Fiona smiled, "That's what the rational part of me keeps saying, too. Let's go." The two girls walked together to the crowded stands. Thankfully, their friends had saved them seats. They climbed over people and settled on the benches, their brave masks back in place.

"You're late." James said as Carmello Vivet walked onto the pitch, "They're about to explain the rules."

* * *

The three champions heard Vivet's magically magnified voice over the silence in the tent. With each passing moment, the silence grew thicker, causing the air to be heavy. Millie took a deep breath.

"Scared yet?" Sergei asked. Millie looked up at him, seeing his calm, and decided to borrow some confidence.

"Not on your life." She answered pertly. Sergei smiled.

"Good. I vant this to be a real competition." One of the Ministry workers came from behind them.

"Go! Get out there." He urged, pressing their backs forcefully. Millie stumbled out of the tent and was immediately grabbed by a set of unidentifiable hands. They lead her out onto the pitch where Carmello Vivet was still talking. It was lucky the hands were holding her up, because upon seeing thousands of eyes on her Millie's legs turned to jelly. She was placed against the wall far behind Vivet. Sergei and Adrien were placed on opposite ends, also standing next to the wall.

"Your champions!" Vivet called. Everyone cheered, Millie's head swam.

"She doesn't look so good." Rose commented from the crowd. They watched as Millie swayed on the spot, her face turning a little green.

"Hold on, Millie." Fiona whispered.

"And the First Task begins. Now." Vivet waved his wand and the earth groaned. The students watched in shock as the three champions dropped into the ground, small craters remained where they had stood moments before. The first task had begun.

* * *

**I know, isn't the suspense terrible?**

**Okay, I'm online over my spring break JUST to post this chapter (seriously). I know reviews have been...non-existent for the last...three chapters...but I'd really appreciate feed back, so I think that arrow wants something from you...**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	14. Catacomb

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 14. Catacomb_  
**

The ground beneath Millie turned to rubble and gave way. Her feet felt like lead that were pulling her down. She closed her eyes and mouth tight to keep any dirt or rocks from getting in them. A shell of earth cracked beneath her and she fell out of a cavern ceiling onto the ground. Filthy and already aching, Millie slowly rose to her feet and looked around the small catacomb she had been deposited in. It was a carved little pocket underground, the only opening was the hole she had created in the ceiling. _Well,_ Millie thought as she dusted off her skirt, _I officially have no idea what I'm doing_. In order to complete the task she had to find more catacombs, and in order to do that she had to find a way out of _this_ catacomb. She took out her wand as she contemplated. Even when she found a way to move about beneath the ground, she could still be tunneling about for hours before finding any catacomb, little lone the right ones. That was the challenge of the first task, she not only had to travel across distances but also across depth. Knowing that she couldn't waste too much time, she decided that he best chance was to gradually tunnel upward. She took a step back from the cave wall and aimed her wand at the top corner. Under the circumstances, Millie wasn't able to think of anything more efficient than simply blasting away at the wall. A burst of red light flew from the tip of Millie's wand to the compact dirt wall, opening a deep gash. Millie continued to blast at the wall until she was able to climb up through the opening. Safely inside her new tunnel, she continued to blast dirt and other debris out of the way as she crawled.

It was 10 minutes before she managed to break through the wall of another catacomb. She crawled out of her tunnel on her hands and knees. She was coated in dirt and her knees were scraped. She slowly rose to her feet and looked around, disappointed to see that this catacomb was also empty. No rings, no mystical creatures. She moved further into the space, already pointing her wand at the opposite wall until she realized that the catacomb wasn't _completely_ empty. She blinked hard a couple of times, her eyes were stinging and her eyelids were suddenly heavy. Confused, she looked up. The ceiling was hidden by a layer of sparkling fog, appearing nonthreatening and innocent. Millie's head was becoming hard to hold up and she mentally kicked herself for not noticing the fog sooner. She remembered learning about a mist that made you sleepy in Charms class the previous year. If she didn't do something soon, she'd pass out and wouldn't even be able to finish the first task. Unfortunately, she'd had to borrow Fiona's homework in order to turn the assignment in on time and she couldn't remember what to do. A fast getaway wouldn't be possible, it took precious time to blast away at the wall. Millie's legs gave way and she fell to her knees, desperately fighting the sudden fatigue, she absolutely _had_ to stay awake. Her tired mind moved slowly and she thought, _What would Fiona do?_ She closed her eyes and pictured Fiona sitting on the couch in the common room. She had a quill and parchment in front of her and was holding a book in her lap.

"_Profundus Quiesco_." She saw Fiona saying, "It's a spell that creates artificial sleep. You'll fall asleep and won't be able to wake up until the spell ends. Battling it is like battling sleep, the most effective way is by using cold."

"What spell is that?" Millie asked mentally. Fiona smiled.

"Just give it a little frost." Millie's eyes snapped open and her mind returned to the catacomb. Raising an arm that felt like lead, she pointed her wand at the fog.

"_Freeshia Gelu_." She whispered. There was a whistling sound and a strong wind that knocked Millie onto her back. She stared at the ceiling as the fog swirled and evaporated. When the fog evaporated Millie blinked, now overcome by cold instead of sleepiness. "Thanks, Fiona." She said to the empty cavern. Once she was back on her feet she went to the wall, thinking hard. If only she knew where the catacombs _were_, she couldn't continue to blunder around blindly, she'd never get out. She jammed the tip of her wand into the dirt wall and held onto it. There was no spell for what she wanted to do, but all spells had to start somewhere, right? She focused hard on the magic in herself and her wand, telling it what she wanted to do. In concentrating, she squeezed her eyes shut. Once again, she saw Fiona sitting in the common room. She raised an eyebrow impatiently.

"Give it a command." Fiona ordered.

"I don't know what to say." Millie argued.

"What does the spell want you to say?"

"I don't think it works that way." Millie demurred. Fiona laughed once and Millie opened her eyes.

Feeling silly, she thought about her goal, and suddenly the word "_Petolius_." Slipped from between her lips. There was a flash of light and Millie closed her eyes. Somehow she was still able to see as red roots worked their way through ground, encircling several catacombs and moving effortlessly through the dirt. Millie opened her eyes, overwhelmed. On one hand, she had just created a spell, which was exciting. On the other hand, now that she knew where the catacombs were she should probably get going. Remembering the directions in the form of a map, Millie turned and began to blast away at the wall again.

When she finally emerged in another catacomb, she wiped sweat from her forehead. Blasting through dirt was hard work. She was sure there was a better way, she just couldn't think of what it was. This catacomb was smaller than the ones she'd been in before. In the center were three pedestals, each with a ring perched on top of it. Millie approached them and saw that the ring with the Hogwarts emblem carved into it was sitting on the center pedestal, neither of the other rings had been claimed yet. She picked up the ring, examined it for a moment, then slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand. As soon as the cool metal touched her skin, Millie felt a calm wash over her. She felt as though her brain had been clamoring, hundreds of voices shouting at her at once. Now it was like those voices had been silenced, all she could hear in her brain was the quiet they left behind. Thinking more coherently, she mentally viewed her map of the catacombs and pointed herself in the direction of the next one.

She'd had it easy so far, the task had lulled her into a false sense of security. As she broke through the wall of the next catacomb, she had forgotten how perilous the first task was supposed to be. Millie stepped into the large cavern and froze. The color drained from her face and her eyes widened, she felt her hands begin to shake. Something was standing with her in the catacomb. The creature was prehistoric, only about as tall as she was. Its several-foot-long, powerful tale was braced on the ground, the creature had strong leg muscles and it was slim so that it was more agile. It stood on two legs, long black talons sprouting from each foot, its short arms were also equipped with these talons. The creature observed Millie out of cold yellow eyes, its narrow snout opened to reveal dagger-like teeth. Millie swallowed hard to keep herself from throwing up from fear. She was faced with a Velociraptor, the Jurassic terror. She'd seen many Raptor skeletons at the digs with her parents. Her father showed her the teeth and the talons since childhood. Millie knew the dinosaur's hunting habits, she knew its diet, she knew its dimensions, she was very well educated when it came to this particular monster. She also knew that it was extinct. This wouldn't be the first time the Wizarding World surprised her, it wasn't even the 100th time. However, she'd been fairly certain that these monsters were no longer around, and that no magic could resurrect them. Though she had thought there were no giants either, but she had learned that they live in the mountains in plain sight, no muggle had seen them and lived to tell the tale. This just might have been the same principle.

"Uh," Millie floundered, raising her wand. What spell did one use against a Raptor? "R-r-_rictusempra_!" She stuttered, figuring she should start with the basics. The spell was less effective than usual, the Raptor watched calmly as the jet of red light streaked toward it. The light hit, the Raptor was knocked back a couple of inches, and was otherwise unbothered. Millie's bottom lip trembled. James would know what to do, _he_ was the one who was good at things like this. She needed to think...

Although every fiber of her being told her that closing her eyes in the midst of the thing she had most feared for countless years would be catastrophic, she took a deep breath and closed them anyway. It was like before, when she saw Fiona sitting in the common room. Now she saw James sitting in the window seat of the Gryffindor common room. He was calm, a stack of books sat on the ground off to the side, he twirled a quill between his fingers.

"You look pale." He observed. Millie took a couple of steps closer to him.

"Velociraptor." She shivered. James raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"A Raptor." Millie said.

"As in, the Dinosaur?" James asked.

"Yes," Millie nodded vigorously, "what do I do?"

"I didn't learn about those." James admitted, seeming unconcerned.

"What would _you_ do?"

"Who knows?" He shrugged, "But here's what you need to remember. We never learned about dinosaurs. Raptors are _extinct_."

"I know a Raptor when I see it!" Millie argued, quickly becoming hysterical.

"Yes, that's what you see. It sure looks like a Raptor, doesn't it? But that doesn't mean it _is_ one." James tucked the quill behind his ear and turned to face out the window. Millie opened her eyes.

The raptor hadn't advanced, it was crouched, a low growl emitting from its throat. If it wasn't a raptor, what did that make it? Millie thought back to her father's lessons. Raptors hunted in groups, this one was by itself, and it wasn't attacking. In this enclosed space it should have gutted her by now. And yet it just watched her. She remember how her father described the attack of a Velociraptor, it had terrified her. _Terrified_ her...

"Wait!" Millie said aloud. Before she could do anything else, there was a rippling in the dirt wall across the catacomb. Sergei Stolojan walked through the rippling wall as if it were water. He looked at the Raptor, then at Millie, then the Raptor again. The monster turned its head and moved to face the Durmstrang Champion. Sergei raised his wand. "It's a boggart!" Millie shouted. Barely a moment after she said it, the Raptor morphed. Its body lengthened, its tail retracted. A man well over 6 feet tall stood in its place. He wore wizard robes the color of dried blood. His black hair hung in curtains around his shoulders, his pointed chin outfitted with a black goatee. Underneath thick eyebrows, the man viewed Sergei out of small, piercing blue eyes. For a moment, Sergei looked surprised. Then the man opened his mouth and started shouting. He yelled and shrieked in a language that Millie didn't understand. Seeing that Sergei wasn't about to do anything, Millie moved her wand in a great, sweeping gesture, sending a burst of air across the catacomb. The wind knocked the man's legs out from under him, he fell to his knees. As the boggart turned, it shifted, and Millie was faced with the Velociraptor. "_Ridikulus_!" The Raptor's mouth clamped closed, Millie had glued its jaws together. It clawed at its snout, trying to pry its mouth open. She let a small smile fall across her lips.

"Good one." Sergei complimented, surprising Millie. The boggart turned and the tall, shouting man was once again among them. "Amelia." Sergei said. Millie met his eyes, his face was set and his eyes were hard with determination, "Go ahead, I vill take care of this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go." Sergei brought up his wand and focused on the boggart. Millie sent a couple of large blasts at the wall, opening a crevice. Without looking back, she continued to the next catacomb. The next catacomb she found was completely empty. When she broke through to the next catacomb, there were the three pedestals once again. When Millie approached them, she saw that only the Hogwarts ring remained. Sergei and Adrien had already been there. She slid the ring onto her middle finger and wasted no time finding the next obstacle.

She reached the next catacomb and found herself completely underwater. Choking, she desperately swam upwards. Her head broke the water's surface and gasped for breath. Her head grazed the top of the catacomb, she was bobbing in a small air pocket, the rest of the room was filled with muddy water. Millie struggled to bring her wand up through the water and pointed it at the ceiling. A rope-like root grew downward until Millie could grab it. Having never been a strong swimmer, she clutched the root with both hands, coughing water out of her lungs. After a minute of this, Millie looked around. What was the purpose of this challenge? She doubted it was just to test her swimming abilities. She nervously eyed the water. Something-she wasn't sure what- wrapped around her ankle and pulled. With a gasp, the root slipped through Millie's fingers and she was pulled under. She couldn't see very well in the dark water, all she could make out were numerous black tentacles that were pulling her deeper. Millie fought against her restraints, lungs already bursting from lack of oxygen. She took a better grip on her wand, which was about to float out of her hand, and pointed it at the creature. A jet of steaming bubbles erupted from her wand and scalded the creature. In its shock, it released her. Millie swam quickly for the surface, she grabbed the root again and gasped for breath. Her teeth were chattering, her skin was clammy, and she had no idea what she was facing.

"I will not panic. I will not panic. I will not panic." Millie chanted to herself with a shaky voice. She had to think of something before the creature returned. Drawing in a ragged breath, she closed her eyes. James was sitting in the window again, the quill still stuck behind his ear. He had picked up one of the books at his feet and was reading. Millie sat down next to him and looked over his shoulder. He was reading a passage with a picture of a blob-like black octopus.

"It's a Nopirus." He told her, "Wow, what I wouldn't give to be there to see it."

"What I wouldn't give for you to be there instead of me." Millie muttered.

"Don't be like that. Here, look at this." James pointed to part of the passage. Millie leaned closer to read it as James continued, "They aren't hostile, but they're dangerous when injured, so I wouldn't try to jinx it, we don't have a spell for it."

"So I'm supposed to get past it without hurting it and do that while it's trying to drown me." She summarized.

"That's the basic idea." James clapped her on the shoulder, "Good luck." Millie opened her eyes and looked down at the dirty water, something stirred under her. She got a grip on her wand just as a tentacle shot out from the surface, aiming for her neck.

Millie pointed her wand at the tentacle, "_Petrificus Totalus_!" The tentacle froze in midair before plunging back into the water. "Sorry." Millie called down to it. She pointed her wand at the ceiling again, "_Reducto_." She was becoming too tired for silent spells. The dirt was blasted away, falling in her hair and eyes. Tunneling straight upward was tricky, once she had a decent start she had to heave herself up the root and sprawl across the hole, using her legs and arms to crawl upwards. If she missed a step or handhold, she'd freefall back into the Nopirus's lair.

Wet, dirty, bruised, and scratched, Millie found her way to the next catacomb where she was relieved to find three pedestals. Once again, she was the last one to reach it. Now all she had to do was find the banner, which was in the largest, highest catacomb in the center of the Quidditch pitch. This could be easy with Millie's new spell. She shoved her wand into the dirty wall and muttered, "_Petolius_." Once again the red vines appeared, she saw them wrap around the largest catacomb. Determined, she ended the spell and blasted through the dirt.

At long last, she broke through the wall of the final catacomb. It was filled with empty space except for the three pedestals, each baring a banner. When Millie entered, all three banners were still present. However, she wasn't alone. Adrien Depaul stood with his left hand wrapped around his school banner, the three rings on his fingers. His wand was pointed upward, he guided sections of dirt downward and into a pile next to him. Hearing Millie's entrance, he wheeled around. There was a breathless moment while they took each other in. Adrien was also dirty, but he was definitely in better shape than Millie was. Until that moment, Millie had never considered the chance that she might actually _win_ the challenge, or the entire tournament. But just then, realizing that she had survived the hard part of the task, realizing that she had done it before Sergei and just a hair behind Adrien, she felt an alien competitiveness build up in her chest. Adrien raised wand arm and his feet left the ground, he was ascending up the tunnel that he had just finished digging. Millie ran forward, snatched the Hogwarts banner and followed suit. She gripped her wand tightly as something tugged at it and pulled her up the tunnel.

She emerged at long last above ground, in the sunlight. She blinked a couple of times as her eyes adjusted to the harsh light. Then she heard loud cheers, she looked around and saw Adrien close by, holding up his banner, he was looking at her expectantly. His expression (though usually stoic) said, _Well? Hurry up and get over here_. Millie ran the final few steps until she was standing next to him and lifted the banner over her head to renewed cheers from the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentleman, your Hogwarts Champion, Amelia Keen!" Vivet's magically magnified voice shouted. Millie's knees wobbled as she and Adrien both lowered their flags. Adrien nudged Millie's arm with his elbow, when she looked at him he smiled slightly, she guessed that meant he approved. In the stands, members of the schools celebrated and friends hugged each other with relief. It was only a couple short minutes before Sergei flew out of the tunnel that Adrien had dug. He stepped with good spirit next to Millie and held up his flag, the cheers that hadn't died down since Adrien had arrived became louder at the sight of the final champion.

"And Sergei Stolojan, your Durmstrang Champion! Please wait for official scoring." Vivet pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, "_Quietus_." He turned and approached the Champions, all three of whom looked the worse for wear. "Well," he said, smiling, "You survived the first task." They were too exhausted to answer. He smiled encouragingly and turned to talk with the school Heads. The Champions all faced each other, taking themselves in. Sergei and Adrien were both filthy, Adrien's hands were scratched, Sergei was sporting new bruise of his forehead and was rubbing his left arm as though it was sore. Millie was still caked in mud, her skin and clothes were soaked through, her teeth chattered, and she had scratches everywhere.

The other two took her in for a moment before Sergei said, "You look terrible."

* * *

**There you go, a nice long chapter. This makes up for chapter 12 *twitch*.**

**But you know that the better I feel the chapter is, the more I want to hear what you think.**

**Wow. I'm about to put this story on hold because of lack of response. I'm sorry, I know it doesn't mean that people don't read it, but I'm a busy person.**

**As such THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL NOT BE POSTED UNTIL THIS CHAPTER HAS 3 REVIEWS.  
**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	15. Vicious Circle

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 15. Vicious Circle_  
**

Clerks and Ministry hands ushered the three champions off the pitch and into a small tent were Madame Pomfry was waiting. She looked after Adrien's cuts and Sergei's bruise, then she turned to Millie, clicking her tongue. She set a basin of warm water in front of the champion and gave her a rag, ordering her to clean herself up. Millie took off her robe and knelt in front of the basin, submerging her hands in the wonderfully warm water and scrubbing the dirt off.

"Vat happened to _you_?" Sergei asked, crouching next to Millie, Adrien hovered close by, listening.

"One of the catacombs was filled with water and a Nopirus." Millie answered as she wrung out the rag and began scrubbing her face, "The water was muddy. I should have dried up, but I had to tunnel straight up, and by the time I reached the next catacomb I was covered in dirt." The tent flap flew open and someone ran into Millie, hugging her despite the mud.

"You made it!" Fiona cried, "And in second! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Millie assured her friend. Fiona knelt next to her and saw streaks of dirt on Millie's face from the rag. Without saying anything, she took the rag and finished cleaning Millie's face, then handed the rag back to her. Millie smiled gratefully as she dunked the rag again to clean her arms and knees.

"Unfortunately, it looks like you'll be cleaning mud out of your hair for weeks." Fiona noted ruefully. She looked at Sergei, who was still crouched next to the basin, and raised an eyebrow. Sergei stood awkwardly and took a step back. "Anyway," Fiona continued, "Mr. Vivet explained the points, even though we all knew already. It's easy to tell who's in first place, good job, by the way, Adrien. But I suppose that will be important next task."

"I suppose." Millie agreed, setting the rag back in the basin and standing. Fiona waved her wand and sent cool air rushing over Millie, drying her skin and clothes. Millie still felt filthy, but at least she wasn't brown anymore.

"I can't wait to hear about it, are you sure you're okay?" Fiona asked, hyped on adrenaline. Millie, tapped out on the adrenaline front, only nodded. Before Fiona could press the issue, Vivet strolled into the tent with Professors Loire, McGonagall, and Strathough. The professors stood behind their champions, Fiona gripped Millie's hand.

"Congratulations, everyone." Vivet started, his eyes landed on Fiona, "Are you supposed to be in here?"

"Er..." She hesitated, "Yes." Vivet shrugged, not caring enough to kick her out.

"Anyway, you've completed the first task. At the moment we find Adrien Depaul from Beauxbatons in first, Amelia Keen from Hogwarts in a close second, and Sergei Stolojan from Durmstrang in third." Fiona squeezed her friend's hand, "The second task will take place in late march. You have time to prepare. We've provided you with a clue, it's on the back of your school banner." All three champions looked at the banners they were holding. The flipped them over and looked at the back. Sure enough, there was writing in glossy black ink. The writing was in a strange language that none of them could read. "The rest of the students have been released, you may return to the school when Madame Pomfry deems you suitable. I have to go, I will see you all this march." And he left the tent. Professor Strathough put a hand on Sergei's shoulder and started muttering in Romanian, Professor Loire and Adrien stood next to each other in comfortable silence. Millie and Fiona turned around to look at Professor McGonagall expectantly.

"Good job, Millie, you've made your school proud." McGonagall complimented with a tight smile, "If I know Gryffindors, they're probably planning a party. Don't feel like you have to stick around, I know you must be tired. Finnegan," She said sharply, making Fiona jump to attention, "what are you doing in here?"

"I was checking on Millie." Fiona answered. Professor McGonagall shrugged, apparently oblivious to her presence until that moment.

"Very well. Don't stand like that, silly girl, you make me feel like a dictator." The Headmistress scolded, Fiona relaxed and McGonagall turned back to Millie, "You've done well, go rest."

Madame Pomfry returned and force-fed Millie a gooey potion that warmed her from the inside out. By the time the matron looked after Millie's scratches the tent had been cleared. Fiona dragged her across the grounds and back to the castle.

"What does this mean?" Millie asked distractedly, looking at the back of the banner. Fiona peered over her shoulder.

"I don't know. It could be runes, or gobbledygook. There are plenty of dead languages or languages that humans don't speak."

"Wonderful." Millie blew out a sigh. Fiona laughed out loud as they entered the common room. There was an eruption of cheers and Millie was hoisted up onto Kip Maroe and Reto Lotson's shoulders. Everyone was clapping and the party was in full swing. Hogwarts and Gryffindor banners were hanging on the walls, and someone had charmed the Gryffindor lion to roar realistically. There was a table of food bartered from the kitchens, there was pie, and even cake. Millie was lowered and set back on her feet. Someone handed her a cup of pumpkin juice, which she drank happily.

"Need me to get you upstairs?" Fiona asked in undertone.

"No." Millie answered, drawing a deep breath, "I'm not going to faint this time."

"You aren't tired?"

"Exhausted. But I'm hungry and I don't want to spoil the party."

"Wow." Fiona exhaled, "When did you get so brave?" Millie only shrugged. The two girls got plates of food and joined their friends by the fire. Fiona squeezed in on the couch between James and Michelle while Millie sat in an armchair with Demi perched on the arm.

"I want to hear about the task!" Lily, who was sprawled out on the floor with Ella, said.

"Give her a break, let her eat." Rose ordered from the armchair she was forced to share with Albus.

"What was it like?" Lily pressed, ignoring her cousin.

"Dirty." Millie said between bites of her pie.

"Lily," Fiona warned when Lily looked like she was going to ask more questions.

"It's okay." Millie took a sip of pumpkin juice. "It was dark, and I had to tunnel through the ground."

"How'd you get all muddy?" Ella inquired.

"Catacomb filled with water and a Nopirus. I had to tunnel straight up. I ran into a boggart, and a sleeping spell."

"How exciting." Michelle commented, "What did the boggart look like?"

"Michelle!" Fiona gasped.

"I'm curious."

"It was a Velociraptor. I glued its mouth shut." They all laughed, except for Millie. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought. She didn't want to tell about the part of the task she'd found most frightening. It wasn't her business to tell them about Sergei's boggart. However, she was very, _very_ curious about it. Who was the tall shouting man? Why did he scare Sergei (who acted like he was afraid of nothing) so much? For several hours Millie stayed in the party, answering questions about the task and showing the writing on the back of the banner, no one knew what it meant. Eventually, the noise died down and people began drifting up to the dormitories. Millie, surprisingly, was one of the last people in the common room.

"Can I talk to your for a minute?" Millie asked softly as James and Fiona were preparing to turn in for the night. Fiona waved Michelle on and turned back, James stayed with her. Although the common room was nearly empty and no one would be listening, Millie kept her voice low, "I, er..." She had second thoughts about telling them, "I panicked. I couldn't think. I didn't know anything about a Nopirus and the _Freeshia Gelu_, I couldn't even recognize the boggart."

"But you did fine." James pointed out.

"Because I thought about what the two of you would do, I asked and..."

"Asked what?" James asked suddenly. Millie bit down on her tongue, embarrassed. Truth was, she thought she had gone crazy. She was seeing things underground, thinking that she was talking to James and Fiona when they weren't around. She was hoping it was some kind of spell, but it obviously wasn't.

"Nevermind." She muttered.

"You know, Millie, you know everything that we know." Fiona said, "We learned all of these things together. You knew how to deal with the creatures and spells, it's all in there somewhere." She tapped her forehead for emphasis. Millie nodded meekly and stood.

Millie laid in bed awake long after all the other girls were sleeping. Though she was tired and needed to sleep, she was distracted. She closed her eyes, trying to summon the visions of James and Fiona she'd had in the catacombs, but all she could see was the inside of her eyelids. Finally, she drifted to sleep. Once she was unconscious, she saw Fiona sitting on the couch in the common room once again.

"Sit down." Fiona said sternly. Millie sat on the couch next to her friend, Fiona turned to face her. "Don't expect me to come out and explain things like this all of the time."

"How are you here?"

"Well, Millie, that depends on where 'here' is." Fiona pointed out. Millie looked around.

"It's the common room, isn't it?"

"It is and it isn't." Fiona shrugged. "But where we _really_ are is in your head. We could be anywhere right now, but you chose the common room."

"So you're just in my imagination?" Millie asked.

"Once again, I am and I'm not. I could be anyone right now, but you chose to talk to me. You're smart, you know. Everything I say are things you already know, you just can't remember them."

"My subconscious?" Millie asked skeptically.

"Yes, like that." Fiona laughed at Millie's doubtful expression. "You'll understand eventually."

"Maybe." Millie muttered. Fiona laughed again and the common room around her faded, Millie drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Rose arrived to Ancient Runes class before Scorpius. She took a seat at their shared desk and fidgeted, waiting for her Slytherin friend to arrive. When he finally sat down next to her Rose turned and grinned.

"I didn't see you this weekend." She said.

"I didn't see _any_ Gryffindors, I assume that the entire house was using the weekend to celebrate." Scorpius said. Rose blushed.

"Yeah. You saw the First task?"

"I wouldn't miss it. It was..." He searched for the right word, "exciting." His friend burst out laughing. "What?" Scorpius asked self-consciously.

"Just when I thought you couldn't get excited about anything." She giggled.

"I get excited about plenty of things." Scorpius said defensively. Rose raised her eyebrows while Scorpius's cheeks turned a familiar pale pink. "I just don't show it."

"Ah." Rose said, disbelieving.

"I'm not _excitable_, but I'm perfectly capable of being excited." The pink spread.

"I believe you." Rose admitted, "I just wish I could have seen it, sorry I missed it." They both looked away, blushing furiously.

"So." Scorpius cleared his throat, "When's the second task?"

"March." Rose felt that her face was still hot, she was embarrassed to be caught blushing, and that made her blush _more_. The more she tried to stop, the more embarrassed she got, and the more she blushed. It was a vicious circle. She put her cool hands to her cheeks while Scorpius still wasn't looking. "There's a clue about it on the back of the banner Millie got. We don't know what it says, it's in a different language. We tried to figure it out, but it's not runes."

"Next week we should start looking through the library." Scorpius suggested.

"We?" Rose repeated, bringing down her hands. It was a useless battle. At the last statement, her face had grown hotter again, and Scorpius was also blushing again.

"Well, I want a Hogwarts victory too." He said quietly, "I want to help."

"Thanks, we should do that." She pressed her lips together, staring determinately at the table. They avoided each other's gaze until Professor Clay called the class to attention. The Professor scanned the rows of students and saw the unusually red pair in the back of class. He didn't say anything, but he smiled smugly, suppressing laughter, and began to teach class.

* * *

**Review!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	16. Epiphany

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Tournament**

**_Chapter 16. Epiphany_  
**

"Millie, could you wait for a minute after class?" Professor Malkun said as potions class ended that afternoon. Millie nervously packed up her ingredients, waved goodbye to James and Fiona, and walked to the front desk where Professor Malkun was sitting. A small cauldron bubbled next to her and there was a stack of student papers laid off to the side. Malkun smiled as Millie approached, "Don't look so scared. Take a seat." She gestured to the wooden stool set on the other side of the desk. Millie stiffly lowered herself and looked up. "Millie, I understand that you're probably at a disadvantage in the Triwizard Tournament, being muggle born and not having prior knowledge on the tradition."

"I thought that at first, but Lily lent me a book about it." Millie said.

"That little girl is a lot smarter that she lets on." The Gryffindor Head of House smiled, "Did you read in this book about the tradition of the Yule Ball?"

"It mentioned it." Millie admitted, not liking where this conversation was going.

"The ball will take place on Christmas Eve. All students who are third years and older are allowed to attend, but younger students may go if they are asked by an older student. Now, it's tradition that the school champions open the ball with the first dance."

"Dancing?" Millie asked with wide eyes.

"Don't worry about that, we'll teach you how to dance properly." Malkun assured her. Dancing wasn't really what Millie was worried about. She'd had to take dance classes at her primary school before attending Hogwarts. She hadn't been brilliant, but she hadn't been awful at it either. She was reasonably coordinated and a fast learner, she knew the steps were buried in her brain somewhere. But now she had three weeks to find someone who would dance with her. At this, she felt blind panic. "Millie, are you feeling all right?" Malkun asked with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine." After all, she'd survived the first task, how hard could a simple dance be?

* * *

"It's _impossible_." Millie confided in her friends later as they sat in the common room.

"That's silly." Fiona said while she read over James's charms homework, "James, your handwriting is horrible. What does this say?" James leaned over and looked at the parchment.

"Er..." He squinted and tilted his head, "Elements?"

"Why would you write 'elements'? That doesn't make any sense."

"What _should_ it say?" James asked.

"James," Fiona sighed, exasperated, "You're not even trying, you're just waiting for me to give you the answer. Stop cheating." She shoved the paper back at him, "Figure out what it should say."

"But-" James started.

"No." Fiona cut across him. She handed him his Charms book and watched expectantly as he grumbled and opened it. Satisfied, she pulled out her incomplete herbology homework.

"How am I supposed to find a date?" Millie asked, returning to the matter at hand, "I don't even know many boys."

"Maybe you could ask Ambrose Lovegood." Albus suggested.

"I don't think he'd be much of a dancer." Rose giggled.

"I don't think you should worry about it." James said, frowning at his Charms book, "You _are_ the school champion, after all, I think most boys would be ecstatic to go with you."

"Except for you, because you're going with me. Right?" Fiona asked suspiciously. Startled, James looked up.

"Yes, of course, why-?"

"I'm only teasing, James."

"I wish I could go." Lily complained.

"Take my place." Millie offered.

"Hey," Someone said from behind the couch. Everyone looked to see Sienne Winslet and Hessa Khowst. Sienne and Hessa were the only other 7th year girls in Gryffindor besides Fiona, Millie, and Michelle. Sienne had shoulder-legnth, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. She had an athletic build and a heart-shaped face. Hessa was of Arabic descent, her skin was dark tan, her nose was broad, her eyes were dark, and she was several inches shorter than Sienne. Her forehead was big and her black hair was cropped close to her head, it tufted forward in a vain attempt to cover her large forhead. Since she didn't have much of a womanly shape, she would often be mistaken for a boy if her hair didn't look so neat. Hessa had a mysterious scar that was about an inch wide and spanned the distance from the corner of her right eye to the tip of her ear. Its exact origins were unknown, though from what little she had said about it most people concluded that she had injured herself while playing with her father's wand as a child. The two had been best friends since they were first years. Though they were never close with Fiona and James's group, they'd always gotten along. They spent a lot of time with James's dorm mates Kip Maroe, Reto Lotson, and Marcel Thwaite. They were also frequent friends with Landon Longbottom and Amy Vane.

Sienne was the one who had spoken, "I have a suggestion." Everyone listened intently as Sienne blew out a sigh and leaned on the back of the couch, looking embarrassed, "My younger brother has been bugging me all afternoon. He's a 6th year in Ravenclaw. He wanted me to put in a good word with Millie."

"Huh?" Millie looked at her blankly.

"See? You won't have any trouble finding a date." James said.

"He'd go with you, if you wanted." Sienne continued, "You don't have to answer right away. In fact, take your time, the suspense will kill him."

"Yeah," Hessa put in, "He can be your backup plan. If you don't get a date before the ball, ask him."

"I couldn't do that, he would already have a date by then." Millie said.

"Whoever she is, he'd dump her in a second if a champion asked him." Sienne said.

"And most people would understand." Hessa added with a shrug.

"Are either of you going with someone?" Fiona asked.

"Not _yet_." Hessa said with a smile, unconcerned.

"I think Reto is going to ask me." Sienne giggled nervously, "He is, right? He _does_ like me, doesn't he?"

"Yes." Hessa answered reflexively. She leaned forward and told the others, "She's been doing this all day."

"What if he doesn't ask?" Sienne asked, suddenly looking horrified.

"He will." Her best friend insisted, "And the sooner the better." She grinned at the others, "We've got homework. So, Millie, Rochier isn't so bad. It's just something to keep in mind. We'll see you later." She coaxed Sienne into moving across the common room to where Kip was already sitting.

"Do you think it's too weird for the girl to ask?" Demi, who had been unusually quiet until this point, asked softly.

"No." Fiona leaned forward eagerly, "Why, are you thinking of asking someone?"

"No, not really." Demi wasn't the type of girl to blush, but she looked nervous, "But I _was_ hoping...if maybe..." Her eyes darted around the room while her friends (with the exception of James, who was absorbed in his Charms homework) watched expectantly, "Do you think Luke would ask me?" She said, almost too quiet to hear. Fiona gasped and grinned excitedly, Lily fell over with a fit of giggles, Rose smiled while Albus looked clueless.

"Luke Syphon?" He asked for clarification. Demi nodded. Albus shrugged, "Probably."

"Really?"

"Of course!" Rose added, "That would be perfect!"

"But what if he doesn't like me like that?" Demi asked, sounding a lot like Sienne.

"Leave that to us." Fiona said, "Rose and I will find out for you."

"You'd do that? Thanks." Rose watched Demi sink back into calm jealously. Demi didn't blush very easily, if at all. She didn't look flustered very often. And when Demi and Luke were together, Demi showed none of the nervous signs that would expose her crush. Demi played it cool and casual, developing a normal friendship with Luke instead of giggling or flirting. From what Rose knew of Luke, he'd be more open to the friendly Demi than the nervous, lovestruck Demi (if she existed). Rose thought about the blushing match she'd had with Scorpius earlier that day. Just thinking about it made her ears red. Why couldn't she be calm and cool like Demi? Why did she have to be embarrassed and nervous? But...why did she care? Rose took in a sharp breath, startling everyone. She was unaware of their curious stares, however, she was much more interested in her epiphany. She didn't want Scorpius to think her silly, or nervous. She wanted to be like Demi, she didn't want him to catch on...Rose bit her lip, thinking about these not-so-new feelings she had when she thought about her friend Scorpius. Suddenly she understood Demi and Sienne's fear when waiting for the boy they liked. What if they weren't liked back? What if he said no? Then what? Would they still be able to be friends? Would he be mad? But if he _did_ like them back... Rose shivered a little bit. She kind of wanted to go to the Yule Ball with Scorpius. She wanted to go _with_ him. But she could never ask. If she said something, Scorpius would run like a startled rabbit. He didn't have a lot of experience with people, maybe he wasn't ready.

"But maybe not." Rose said aloud.

"Rose, what are you talking about?" Albus demanded.

"Huh? Did I say something?" Rose asked innocently. Albus rolled his eyes and looked away. Fiona caught Rose's eye and smiled knowingly.

"I was just thinking..." Millie said suddenly, "About Rochier. I _have_ met him, right?"

"You've seen him around, at the very least." Fiona said, "Roch sometimes hangs out with the Lovegoods. It seems like every Ravenclaw is friends with them. He's pretty smart, he looks like Sienne, she talks about him sometimes."

"Oh." Millie twisted her fingers. Going with Roch didn't sound so bad. After all... it wasn't like there was anyone else she wanted to go with...

* * *

Amy Vane sulked on her bed. She hadn't been feeling quite right lately. She'd been in a funk the entire school year, and she wasn't sure why. She knew that she should be happy. Her friends loved her, her classes were fun, she had a good life. And yet...somehow even an invitation to the Yule Ball from none other than Landon Longbottom failed to lift her spirits. Why? Everyone wanted Landon, and she really liked him. But something, some dark cloud, continued to hover over her. Amy thought about when Landon asked her in the common room. He'd been really polite. Maybe she took too long to answer. He had asked her and Amy got distracted by a small commotion near the fireplace. Fiona Finnigan laughed as she read over James Potter's homework. He said something that made Fiona shake her head as she scribbled out one of his answers. She pushed the parchment back to her boyfriend. He, however, didn't look at the paper as she slid it to him. His eyes were fixed on Fiona. His eyes danced with laughter as he looked upon his girlfriend with pride and admiration. Fiona noticed and returned the look, taking his hand and moving closer.

That was when Amy stopped watching.

She'd given Landon an answer. She told him yes. Even though she hadn't said it with the gushing happy tone that girls usually use around Landon, she'd sounded dejected. Landon didn't seem to notice. He'd been distracted ever since he, too, glanced at the fireplace. Probably he missed Fiona. Amy clenched her fists at the thought of the older girl. Second to Fiona Finnigan yet again. The thought of it made Amy's stomach clench, the memory of James and Fiona together made her heart ache. She supposed it was her own fault, and that made her feel even worse.

Amy sighed and flopped onto her back, staring at her bed canopy. There was a time that she scorned anyone who was involved with Landon Longbottom, and now she spent most of her waking hours with him. She wondered what had happened. She liked Landon, but he didn't make her overwhelmingly happy. She was happiest in crowded places, when she knew that James was looking at her...that was when she liked Landon the most. He was...useful. Landon didn't seem overwhelmingly happy about being with Amy, either. The girl knew it was because at least part of him was still in love with Fiona. They'd both failed at those relationships, but they were the best relationships they'd had. Nothing, not even Landon, could make Amy forget about James.

Why didn't she realize what she had? She'd told Fiona that she wasn't romantically interested in James. At the time, she thought it was true. She was horrified at being accused of leading him on. But then she thought about it. If she was leading him on, he _must_ be interested in her. And the more Amy thought about that, the more she wanted to be closer to James, and the more she wanted Fiona to simply disappear. But maybe she didn't have to feel so guilty, maybe she didn't need to regret it. Maybe she could change things.

Maybe there was still time.

* * *

**I love drama.**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	17. Brave Preparation

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 17. Brave Preparation_  
**

Rose sat in the library, numerous books in strange languages were spread out in front of her. She had a book of dead languages open in front of her, and she stared at the pages intently. She read the same line for the 13th time, unable to concentrate on the text. Next to her, Scorpius was absorbed in a book. His eyes were fascinated as they scanned the page. Rose quickly turned her eyes back to her own book, and read the line for the 14th time. She hated to let Millie down, but she highly doubted that what they were looking for would just be sitting in the library, that would be too easy. There might be something in the restricted section, but Rose couldn't help with that. Rose exhaled heavily and closed the book a bit more forcefully than she'd intending, earning a disapproving glare from the passing Madame Pince. Rose was happy, however, when Scorpius looked up at her.

"Nothing?" He asked quietly.

"No." Rose answered, leaning her elbows on the table. Scorpius closed his book too.

"Has anyone else had any luck?"

"No one else has started looking. They're preoccupied."

"Preoccupied?"

"The Yule Ball." Rose whispered, "No one wants to go without a date. Millie thought no one would want to go with her, but she's champion and _everyone_ wants to go with her. Lily's trying to find someone to take her because otherwise she won't get to go. Albus is obsessing. He really doesn't want to go by himself. It's funny, actually, because he doesn't have anyone to ask. Everyone's all jittery and talking about what color dress robes they're wearing and how they're doing their hair."

"What color are you wearing?" Scorpius asked.

"It's a surprise." Rose replied promptly, making Scorpius laugh under his breath.

"Well," He picked at the table, "Who are you going with?"

"Right now, no one." Rose said, her throat suddenly constricted. "What," She had to clear her throat, "what about you?"

"Same." He shrugged one shoulder. He looked away for a second before looking back at Rose, eyes alight. "I have an idea." He whispered, "Why don't _we_ go?"

"Huh?"

"Since we aren't going with anyone else. This way we don't have to worry about dates, and we could spend more time together. I'd like it if maybe we could go together. You know," He added nervously, "as friends."

"Or." Rose said, avoiding eye contact, "Maybe we could-"

"Shh!" Madame Pince suddenly appeared behind them, glaring. They smiled and nodded apologetically until she moved on.

"Maybe we could what?" Scorpius asked as soon as the librarian was out of sight.

"Er, nothing." Rose lost her nerve. She wanted to go with Scorpius, and not just as friends. But she couldn't get the image of him running away out of her head. Disappointed, she turned back to the table but was unable to select a book before someone clamped a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Fiona standing over her, arm outstretched, eyes alight.

"We need to go." Fiona told her in a rushed whisper.

"What?"

"I've been asking around all week, Luke hasn't asked anyone to the Yule Ball yet." Fiona looked over at Scorpius, "Hey, Scorpius." He nodded.

"And?" Rose demanded.

"_And_ we have to go see if he likes Demi. He's on his way here right now and we need to catch him first."

"Oh, that's right." Rose picked up her bag, "Sorry, Scorpius, I have to go. I'll see you later?"

"Sure." Fiona grabbed the younger girl's wrist and towed her from the library.

"So?" She asked as they climbed one of the school's numerous staircases, "Are you going with Scorpius?"

"Yes, as friends." Rose sighed.

"Oh no." Fiona looked at her sympathetically.

"No, it's good. This way we don't worry about dates, and it'll be fun..."

"But you didn't want to go as friends." Fiona finished for her, smiling grimly.

"I can't tell him." Rose insisted, "Scorpius, he's so shy. He doesn't have that many friends, I'm surprised he's tried so hard to talk to me." This made Fiona think about Millie's theory on Scorpius's intentions, she shook it off, "I'm afraid that if I say something, he'll run away. Then I won't even have him as a friend."

"You need to tell him." Fiona said abruptly.

"What?" Her friend squawked.

"I might not be an objective opinion," Fiona laughed, "You know how I don't approve of keeping secrets."

"Sometimes they're a good thing."

"Remember Amy?" Fiona said, her eyes looking dead.

"What about her?" Rose inquired, surprised by the change in subject.

"I wish I was as lucky as you." Fiona admitted, "I wish I'd known. If I could have said something before things got so bad, everything could have been avoided. No one needed to get hurt. I could have stopped it. And, Rose, nothing will change if you keep quiet. He won't know. Then maybe he'll meet someone. In the Slytherin Common Room, at the ball, during Quidditch practice, and you'll have missed your chance. Then you'll regret it, you'll never know, and you'll be the one that ends up getting hurt."

"I suppose." Rose grumbled, "And if he runs away."

"I don't think he'll run away from you." She smiled sagely. Rose was so wrapped up in this statement that she ran flat-out into someone. She stumbled back a couple of steps and looked up at the off-balance Luke Syphon.

"Sorry, are you okay?" She apologized quickly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it." He said, smiling slightly.

"Where are you headed?" Fiona asked the Chaser brightly.

"Library."

"We were just there, you know, helping Millie." Fiona said.

"That's good."

"Yeah. It was Demi's idea to start working on it so soon. Everyone else is all wrapped up in the ball. I guess she's just buying time because no one has asked her yet."

"Really? No one asked Demi?" Luke looked surprised for a minute, "Huh. I didn't think she'd just sit back and wait for someone to ask her. I thought she would have cornered someone by now."

"Taking the bull by the horns." Rose said, "You know what? I bet she's scared."

"That could be it." Fiona agreed quickly.

"Demi, scared? I don't think so." Luke's brow wrinkled, "What's she scared of?"

"Same thing everyone's scared of." Rose said.

"Girls don't like doing the asking because it puts us out there. Vulnerable, you know? No one wants to hear no." Fiona explained.

"I didn't think Demi was afraid of anything." Luke said.

"Girls." Fiona shrugged, "She'd be happy if someone asked her. She wants to go, just like any other girl."

"Are boys afraid of that, too?" Rose asked suddenly, looking thoughtful.

"I guess." Luke answered, surprised. Fiona looked surprised too, Rose was straying from the script.

"Boys, they always seem so cool, don't they? Maybe they're just as afraid as we are. Maybe they're afraid we'll run away. How is anyone supposed to get a date when everyone's afraid of getting rejected?"

"Bravery, I suppose." Luke told his Quidditch Captain.

"You think?"

"That's part of the reason I thought Demi would have asked someone by now, she's fearless."

"Or good at hiding it." Fiona pointed out.

"Boys are just as afraid as girls. But the braver of the two is the one to ask."

"And that's why you thought Demi would ask you?" Fiona pressed. Luke looked at her, wide-eyed and startled.

"I didn't say I wanted her to ask _me_." He said.

"Oh." Fiona exhaled sharply, "I just..." She fumbled to find an excuse. In the end, she failed to find one suitable and broke off in a lame shrug.

"Demi put you up to this." Luke accused.

"No, she just mentioned it." Rose answered. Fiona tried to say something but Rose cut across her, "You've said enough, Fiona, I can handle it from here." The older girl pouted at the order but obeyed.

"I find it hard to believe that Demi is just waiting around for me to ask her." Luke said.

"She's a girl."

"But she's brave."

"She's afraid." Rose corrected, "We were supposed to be undercover, before Fiona blew it. Demi didn't ask us to do this, we offered. We were _going_ to be subtle, but since that ship's sailed I'll tell you outright, Demi wants to go with you. And you want to go with her."

"I didn't say that!"

"But you seem to have put a lot of thought into why you shouldn't go. You've thought a lot about how Demi would get a date. Is that why you didn't ask her? Because you thought she'd asked someone else?"

"I don't have to answer that."

"I know. But you like her, right?" Rose asked. Luke didn't say anything. "Then give Demi a break, she's brave all the time. This time, _you_ should be the strong one. Maybe that's why she _hasn't_ asked."

"I-" Luke looked embarrassed, "Your question earlier, boys are afraid too. I know you weren't asking because of Demi."

"But if _Demi_ isn't brave enough..."

"Brave is a state of mind. Demi is one of the bravest people I know, and so are you, Rose." She thought about that for a beat.

"Yeah. Thanks, Luke." She said finally.

"Thank you. For, you know, telling me." He waved good bye and wasted no time walking away before they could ask him anything else.

"He'll ask her." Fiona said, satisfied. "Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Be brave."

* * *

As the Yule Ball drew closer, the school became more flustered and anxious than they had before the first task.

"I asked Roch to the ball." Millie told her friends, only a few short days before the ball.

"About time." James grumbled.

"Didier asked me." Michelle said excitedly.

"We heard you the first thousand times." Albus complained. Over the last couple of days, Michelle had spoken of little else.

"Albus is just in a snit because he hasn't found a date." Rose said.

"I'm not 'in a snit'!" Albus argued forcefully. Rose raised her eyebrows. Albus crossed his arms and turned away, mumbling to himself.

"Oh no, is Albus going to be the only one attending the ball alone?" Michelle asked as Lily and Ella approached. Albus glared at the older girl.

"I'm going." Lily said, sitting cross-legged on the floor, Ella sat next to her.

"What?" Fiona asked, shocked.

"Luther Matsen asked me." Lily giggled, "He's a third-year!"

"Great, my 12-year-old little sister is starting a romance with a third-year." James groaned.

"Don't jump to conclusions." Fiona ordered.

"Yeah, it's just a dance." Lily said, "Albus still doesn't have anyone to go with?"

"Shut up." Albus snapped.

"Oh. Maybe you shouldn't have waited so long."

"Shut _up_, Lily!"

"I know!" Lily shouted suddenly, looking up at her brother in excitement, "You can go with Ella!"

"What?" The two parties in question squeaked in unison.

"Well, Albus doesn't have anyone else to go with. And if you don't take her, she won't get to go."

"Lily, I don't think-" Albus started.

"I don't mind-" Ella argued.

"Either Albus is the only one going alone, or Ella is the only one left behind." Lily said. Everyone fell silent, knowing how this had to end. None of them wanted Ella to feel left out, and none of them wanted to hear Albus keep complaining about going alone. Albus and Ella avoided each others' gaze defiantly for over a minute. "_Albus_," Lily said forcefully, "go on."

"Yeah." Michelle added quickly. Albus looked over at her and she clapped her hand to her mouth, shaking with laughter that wasn't well hidden. Finally, Albus sighed.

"Ella," He said tightly, "will you go to the ball with me?"

"I guess." Ella answered, pouting slightly.

"Are you happy?" Albus demanded his little sister.

"Yes." She grinned at him.

* * *

Amy Vane dug through the trunk at the end of her bed. Though she normally kept her area neat, she carelessly threw clothes and miscellaneous items onto the floor. At the bottom of her trunk she saw the slick package she'd been looking for. She pulled it out by the twine that was wrapped around the waxy paper. Impatiently, she used her wand to break through the twine and she tore off the paper. She caught her breath when she saw what was inside. Amy pulled her dress robes away from its tattered package and held it up for inspection. It would do. It would do beautifully. She couldn't wait for everyone, or a few specific someones, to see her in it.

She was ready for the ball.

* * *

**Another Chapter I'm not so crazy about. The next one will be really good, though.**

**And I still want reviews.**

**l**

**V  
**


	18. The Yule Ball

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 18. The Yule Ball_  
**

Millie nervously looked at the parcel on her bed. She had not been able to purchase her dress robes before the school year started, she was pressed for time and not completely competent on her yearly trip to Diagon Alley for supplies. When learning about the Yule Ball, she appealed to Fiona for help. Fiona sent a letter to her mother who saintly set out to purchase a set of dress robes for Fiona's friend. The package arrived not a moment too soon and, despite Fiona's insistence, had yet to look at them.

"Come on, you have to open it now." Fiona said, watching Millie. Fiona, Millie, Michelle, Sienne, and Hessa were all in their dormitory as they prepared for the Ball that was upon them.

"I don't know." Millie hesitated.

"I'm sure Mum picked you out something nice." Fiona assured her.

"Your mum is very nice to do this for me."

"Saintly." Fiona smiled, "You get used to it. Go ahead, open it." Taking a deep breath, Millie stepped forward and picked up the parcel. The other girls in the dormitory saw the movement and, after watching Millie hover for several minutes now, rushed over to look at it with her. Millie ripped open the package and looked inside, the others crowded around and took a collective breath.

"It's beautiful." Sienne said softly.

"Put it on." Michelle ordered. All five of them separated and got into their celebratory garments. Millie picked up her new dress robes and looked at them in awe. They were a glossy champagne, when she picked them up the fabric ran through her fingers like water. She stepped into the robes and went to examine herself in her mirror. Marina had done a perfect job picking these out. They were exactly Millie's size, the neck scooped appropriately and the fabric clung to her meager curves. It accented the right things; her skin tone, her flat stomach, her hair and eyes.

"Gorgeous." Fiona said suddenly as she stepped into the mirror's view behind her. Millie met her eyes in the reflection.

"Not as beautiful as you." She said, taking her friend in. Fiona's dress robes were glittering and golden. It sparkled like little stars and the color was deep like the precious metal itself. She'd already done her hair, it was braided and tied up in an elegant bun.

"Nonsense, Champion." Fiona grinned, "I don't think anyone will be outshining you tonight." Millie looked around doubtfully. Michelle wore satin robes of deep violet, she had glitter on her face and her hair was curled into ringlets. Sienne wore robes of magenta and her hair was piled on her head, sticking up some places in a new-age fashion. Hessa's robes were brown, the fabric was soft and complemented her skin tone. "I'm serious." Fiona said seriously, "You're breathtaking." She scrutinized their reflections in the mirror, "Let's see what we can do about your hair." She fussed with the champion's curls for a few minutes, biting her bottom lip thoughtfully. Though Millie usually kept her chin-length curls out of her face with a large headband, today Fiona teased them to give them volume. Normally Millie thought her hair looked frizzy, but the way Fiona fixed them made them look voluptuous. After Fiona deemed them ready, Fiona lead the way down the stairs into the crowded and unusually colorful common room. Fiona went straight to James's arm, he looked strapping in jet black robes. Rose was near him, shifting from foot to foot nervously, her robes were lavender and she wore Scorpius's butterfly clip in her hair. Ablus was next to her, looking less-than-enthusiastic. His robes were a green that matched the Potter family eyes. His "date", Ella, was next to him. Her robes were just a little baggy since there was probably not a pair of robes in the world small enough to fit the tiny girl, they were periwinkle and her hair was braided down her back, tied with a matching bow. Lily was close by, talking to Luther Matsen. Her robes were powder pink that stereotypically should have clashed with the abundance of red hair that was, for once, pulled back.

"Everybody ready?" James asked the group at large. They headed down to the Entrance Hall where students from all schools were milling about, waiting for dates from different schools or houses. They found Sienne's brother, Rochier, quickly in his olive-green robes. He looked a lot like his older sister with the same hazel eyes, wavy brown hair, and heart-shaped face.

"Ms. Keen!" Professor McGonagall waded through the crowd to get to her champion, "Everyone else is going inside, champions and their partners are over here." Millie bid good bye to her friends and followed the headmistress to where the other champions were already waiting.

"Millie, _tres belle_." Justine, clad in silver robes that matched Adrien's, complimented.

"Thanks." Millie accepted habitually, feeling queasy. Sergei was there with bright blue robes that matched his piercing eyes. On his arm was the 4th year Hufflepuff, Paisley Macmillan. Millie didn't know Paisley particularly well, but she felt uncomfortable when she looked at the pretty 14-year-old. Her hair was the color of rich straw, her brown eyes were streaked with gold. The girl was always smiling, showing off her cute dimples. Millie fought back a scowl. Dimples. She hated the idea of dimples, for some reason they were irresistible, and on Paisley, who was already good-looking in loud yellow robes, they were adorable. Sergei met Millie's gaze and looked like he wanted to say something, but he thought better of it and returned his attention to Paisley.

"All right, everyone." McGonagall said briskly some time later when the entrance hall had cleared out. The door were open, the Champions arranged themselves in a line; Sergei and Paisley leading, Adrien and Justine behind them, with Millie and Roch bringing up the rear. There was applause as they entered the elaborately-decorated Great Hall. The three champions lined up, faced their partners, and waited for the music. Millie delicately put one hand on Roch's shoulder while he lightly pressed his hand to her hip, then she placed her other hand in his. The music started and they began to dance. Millie didn't need to think too much about the steps, they were just like she remembered them. Thankfully, Roch was also a decent dancer so there was absolutely no crushing of toes or embarrassing missteps. Millie took a chance to look around. Adrien and Justine were moving about gracefully, looking intently into each others' eyes. They didn't appear to be thinking about the steps or music at all, they relied on each other to find the rhythm. Sergei and Paisley were a different story. Paisley was still grinning away, but the two of them weren't moving in sync as they should have been. Paisley was about a half-step behind Sergei, who was moving a little too fast for the music. Millie scanned the crowd and saw Fiona give her a thumbs up. Gradually, more people moved onto the dance floor.

"See? Nothing to worry about." Fiona said as she and James danced next to her.

"Who said I was worried?" Millie said. Fiona laughed and they moved off. As soon as the music for the first song stopped, Roch and Millie let go of each other and took a step back. "Do you mind if we sit down?" Millie asked.

"Of course not." Roch agreed awkwardly, they moved toward the round tables that were pushed off to the side of the Great Hall, "Sorry, I'm not much of a dancer."

"You were fine." Millie assured him, taking a seat, "My knees are just quaking."

"Nerves." Roch identified, sitting down next to her, "But that couldn't have been worse than the first task. It looked like it chewed you up and spat you back out."

"I guess." She took a deep breath and looked out on the floor. Sergei and Paisley were still dancing a little ways away. Paisley was, presumably, smiling. "I don't think I like girls with dimples." She said suddenly. She then clamped her mouth shut, horrified that she'd just been thinking aloud.

"What?"

"Nothing." Millie looked around again. Rose was sitting with Scorpius at a table not far away. They were talking, not quite making eye contact. Rose watched the dancing couples wistfully, Scorpius's eyes didn't leave her face. Albus and Ella sat down at Millie and Roch's table.

"Hey." Albus said gruffly.

"Were you dancing?" Millie inquired.

"No." The unlikely couple looked terrified at the very thought. Ella crossed her arms and looked the other direction while Albus scoffed. Millie fought back a smile, overcome by the sudden image of Albus dancing with Ella, the top of the little girl's head didn't even reach his shoulders. Roch met another Ravenclaw girl's eyes and turned to Millie guiltily.

"Millie, do you mind-?"

"Go ahead." She said quickly, knowing the girl would enjoy his company more than she would.

"Paisley got a date with the champion." Albus observed, "I guess I'm not surprised."

"Why?" Millie asked Paisley's year-mate.

"Because she's _Paisley_." Albus said with a shrug, "Everybody loves Paisley. Paisley gets what she wants."

"I'm the champion." Millie said with an unidentifiable tone.

"Then I guess you get what you want, too." Albus said offhandedly. Millie sat for a moment, thinking, _What_ do_ I want?_ She stood suddenly.

"I'm going to get a drink." She said awkwardly. Albus nodded to her and she moved to the refreshment table. She stared at the drinks blankly, not sure if she was actually thirsty or not.

"Haffing fun?" Sergei asked, moving to stand next to her.

"Yes." Millie answered quickly, surprised, "How are things with Paisley?" Sergei shrugged.

"I didn't know she smiled so much." He said bluntly, startling a small giggle out of Millie.

"What's wrong with smiling?" Millie asked, smiling in spite of herself.

"Nothing." He returned the smile, "Perhaps you should do it more often, it's very becoming." Millie looked down shyly.

"I just..." She muttered, unable to find anything to say, "Perhaps."

"Vould you like to go for a valk?" Sergei asked, gesturing to the doors.

"What?"

"Come valk vith me."

"What about Paisley, shouldn't you-?"

"I'm sure she's already preoccupied." Sergei said, looking past Millie into the crowd. Millie craned her neck and followed his gaze. Sure enough, Paisley had plenty of suitors. Of course she'd wanted to go with a champion, just as Roch had, there weren't many people who wouldn't want to attend with the champion, just to say that they had. Although, apparently, the champion's feelings weren't in the equation. As Millie watched Paisley dance with someone she didn't know, she felt significantly better about the whole night. She turned and followed Sergei out of the Great Hall.

Meanwhile, James was leaning against the refreshment table. Fiona had spent a lot of time telling him about the situations with their friends and family. He looked over to where Albus sat next to Ella and grinned at his brother's discomfort. Poor Ella, either having to stay in bed or spend what was sure to be an uneventful outing with Albus. He moved his gaze to where Rose and Scorpius were sitting, not dancing. The poor, oblivious git. Rose looked like she was itching to dance, and Fiona had insisted that she wanted Scorpius to ask her. Scorpius, though, didn't seem aware that he was supposed to step up. Hopefully, those two would be okay. Lily was dancing Luther, though they were in time with neither the music or each other, several people gathered around them to watch the admittedly-hilarious show.

For the moment, James was alone. Millie had disappeared, Michelle had dragged Fiona off to talk to her about some form of "emergency" that James was sure he wouldn't care about. So he waited patiently by the table for her to return. For some reason, he felt as though he was forgetting something.

His remembering was interrupted when he was approached by someone who was not Fiona. The girl who stepped in front of him was striking with crimson dress robes, her blond hair was braided with several ribbons of varying shades of red. James was startled by this unexpected visit.

"Amy." He breathed.

* * *

**Do It**

**l**

**V**


	19. Attended

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

_**Chapter 19. Attended**_

Amy's lips, the same color as her robes, smiled.

"Hello, James." She greeted. She looked around quickly then leaned on the table next to him, "Where's your girlfriend?"

"She had an emergency to take care of." James replied stiffly.

"Just as well." Amy sighed, the smile still in place on her lips, it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Have you?" James asked guardedly.

"Of course. You know I miss you."

"And?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, Amy, that you were the one who didn't want to be friends." James pointed out, "I heard that you were coming with Landon Longbottom."

"I did." Amy confirmed.

"Where is he?" James asked.

"He had an emergency to take care of." She said slyly, making James roll his eyes. He looked around doggedly, hoping Fiona was on her way back. "Why are you so edgy?" Amy asked, "Would she not like that I was talking to you?"

"_I_ almost don't like that we're talking." James said with a shrug.

"Well." Amy's eyes widened with surprise, "What are _you_ so mad about?"

"You're the one that left, Amy, you can't just come back and act like everything's okay."

"Things not going so well?" The girl asked innocently, "Things haven't been going well for me, either."

"You're not the one who gets to be mad!" James snapped.

"What happened?" Amy asked, "One day things were going great with us. Then Fiona..."

"It isn't her fault."

"Of course you'll say that. Since you _love_ her so." Amy's lips curled around the word "love", turning it into a sneer.

"Do you have a problem?"

"Yes! Obviously I have a problem!" Amy said in exasperation, "You think I left you, you left me first."

"What are you talking about?" James was losing patience quickly.

"I _liked_ you James. I wanted to be with you, but then you gave your heart away to that _girl_ who already broke it."

"What do you mean?" James asked through numb lips, he suddenly felt very cold.

"You mean you didn't notice?" Amy was back to her too-sweet attitude, "You really didn't notice that I had feelings for you. I guess I still do."

"Fiona said you didn't like me that way." James argued.

"What? She tell you that I said that the same time she threatened me?" Amy asked, "It never occurred to you that she wasn't threatening me about leading you on, she was threatening me because she wanted me to back off?"

"No." James answered promptly, "She told me that you said you weren't interested."

"And you believed her?" Amy asked skeptically.

"She was just protecting me."

"I don't think you need her protection." Amy moved closer and looked up at him, "Do you?" James didn't answer. Amy shrugged and stepped away, "Fine. Think what you like. But just remember what I said. I miss you. I think we could have had something special, before _she_ ruined it."

"I think you should go back to Landon." James said through clenched teeth. Amy smiled without her eyes again, gave him a finger wave, and walked away. James gripped the edge of the table tightly, feeling odd. Fiona wouldn't have lied to him about something like that. She'd been very truthful since they'd made up last year. But...but what if that promise took effect _after_ Fiona turned on Amy? If that was what happened, anyway.

"Sorry that took so long." Fiona said, suddenly appearing beside him. She took a moment to study his face, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." James answered tightly. He took in Fiona's happy, care-free expression. She didn't look guilty or worried, she looked the same as ever. He didn't want to think ill of her...but had she been lying to him?

Millie followed Sergei out of the Great Hall, through the Entrance hall, to the steps outside of the doors. The grounds had also been decorated for the ball, bushes were filled with twinkling lights and ribbons. Sergei sat down on the steps and sighed, Millie lowered herself next to him.

"I like your robes." Sergei said, "You look very nice tonight."

"Thanks to Fiona's saintly mother." Millie said automatically. To Sergei's confused look she quickly added, "She's the one who picked them out."

"Amelia,"

"It's Millie." She corrected quietly.

"Millie." He agreed, "Tell me about your parents."

"Not much to tell. They're paleontologists. They study dinosaur fossils."

"That's vhy your boggart vas a dinosaur?"

"A velociraptor." Millie shuddered, "My Dad has been teaching me about them since before I can remember. I've seen the bones dozens of times. Thank goodness they're extinct."

"Vat made it so scary?"

"The fact that it shouldn't have been there. They're all dead, and I know that. But this isn't the first time the wizarding world has surprised me. They could have brought one back, or maybe they weren't extinct. I was afraid of them before, but seeing one was worse than just thinking about one. That's what was scary."

"I take it your parents are," Sergei paused, "Muggles?"

"They are." Millie said bracing herself. Surely someone as haughty as Sergei would reject her for being a muggle born. Sergei watched her for a beat and then shrugged indifferently.

"I suppose parents aren't as critical to how ve turn out as ve thought." He said simply.

"They don't even know I'm here." Millie propped her elbows on her knees, "Or that I'm a witch. They sent me to boarding school and that was that."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Millie shrugged. She shifted uncomfortably, "I've been meaning to ask you," She started awkwardly, "about your boggart."

"Did it scare you?" He asked seriously.

"Yes."

"Me too." The over-confident champion admitted.

"But...what was it? What did it mean?" He didn't answer so she prodded, "What could scare you so much?"

"Do you haff any siblings?" Sergei asked, Millie shook her head, "I do. I haff sisters, and one brother. I'm the youngest. My mother left a long time ago, I was her only child. I lived with my father and my sisters raised me."

Millie was getting a bad feeling in her stomach. "So that man was...?"

"My father." Sergei answered.

"I shouldn't have left you there." Millie said.

"Ov course you should. Survival ov the fittest."

"But still-"

"I survived. I didn't spend too much time there."

"Did you do something funny to it?" Millie asked.

"No."

"How do you defeat a boggart without laughter?" She wondered aloud.

"Easy." Sergei answered, looking out over the grounds, "He can't hurt me anymore. I knew that, so I vasn't scared." Millie thought back to the shouting man in the catacomb. There might have been a resemblance between him and Sergei.

"I've never heard of someone beating a boggart by facing their fears." She said.

"Yes you haff. That's vat the laughter is. Ven you turn it into something funny, it's no longer scary. It's just hard to face your fears, the excuse that laughter is the answer only makes it easier."

"I'm sorry about your father."

"I'm not afraid ov him anymore." Sergei said with a shrug.

"I knew there wasn't anything that could scare you." Millie said with a small smile. Sergei turned to grin at his companion.

"I thought the same thing about you." He said.

"That's silly." Millie blushed, "I'm afraid of a lot of things."

"And that's good." Sergei said, surprising the Hogwarts Champion, "Keeps you brave."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Vell, Millie, if there was nothing to fear, vat vould ve need bravery and courage for?" His eyes, usually hard and cold, sparkled and Millie took in a sharp breath.

"I guess you're right." She smiled ruefully.

"You'd be surprised how often that happens." Sergei looked back out over the grounds. Millie, feeling as though a weight on her shoulders that she didn't know existed had been lifted, looked with him.

Inside, Scorpius and Rose were still in their same predicament. They sat watching everyone else dance and have fun, Rose's foot was tapping and she was itching to dance. Would it be okay if she asked him? She didn't think he'd say no, but what if he didn't want to? What if he thought it unfeminine for her to ask him for a dance? She knew boys could be rather touchy on that subject. Rose was usually confident and secure, she wasn't used to all of this second-guessing and doubt. Then again, that was probably because she'd never really _liked_ someone before. Unfortunately, she now had no idea how to proceed with this shy boy. The band started playing a familiar, slow-paced song. She felt an inadvertent sigh escape her. Upon hearing the exhale, Scorpius turned to her with rapt attention.

"Are you bored?" He asked nervously.

"No, of course not." Rose assured him, "I just...love this song." She tilted her head up and listened to the music drifting through the air. Scorpius fidgeted nervously.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked quietly.

"I..er...would _you_ like to?" Rose let out in a rush. After replaying the sentence in her head she grimaced, "I mean, sorry, I didn't...what I meant to say was: I'd love to." She met his eyes and smiled warmly, drawing Scorpius's attention to the dim lights reflecting her hair and skin and the warm, sensual way her eyes melted.

"Really?" He said.

"Really." Rose confirmed, smiling just a little wider. Scorpius smiled back. And, for once, neither of them blushed. Neither of them felt uncomfortable as they shared the special moment. Scorpius stood and offered her his hand. She took it and allowed herself to be escorted onto the dance floor. She lightly placed her hand on his shoulder, he put his hand on her hip. She slipped her warm hand into his cool one and looked up the barest amount to meet his gaze.

Not too far away, Fiona gasped. "James!" She hissed, slapping her boyfriend's arm excitedly, "James James James James James _James_!"

"What? _What_!" James asked, looking around in alarm.

"Look at Rose and Scorpius! Look at them!"

"I'm looking." James said, changing the dance steps so that they could both face the couple in question. He looked across the floor to where his cousin was wrapped into her date's arms.

"They're so cute." Fiona sighed, leaning her head against James contentedly, not noticing his back stiffen.

"They _do_ look good together." He admitted grudgingly.

"They do, don't they." Fiona smiled, "I think things with them can work out."

"Hopefully."

"Well, what am I going on about? Of course things will work out with us looking out for them, right?" Fiona asked dreamily. James only grunted his ascent, not having the heart to disagree with her, but, after spotting Amy watching him as she chatted with Landon, he didn't feel much like agreeing with her either. Fiona, however, was not easily fooled. Her brow furrowed and she leaned back, her eyes searching his face. "James," She said seriously, "Is something wrong?"

Back across the dance floor, Scorpius was taking in the beautiful girl he was dancing with. He took in the way the lights softened her face and lit golden highlights in her hair. He was captivated by the way her golden clips was nestled into her curls, it blended in with her hair while still stood out. He'd felt such glee when he saw her wearing it that night, that she could consider _his_ token to her elegant to wear to such an occasion. And maybe he was imagining the pride he saw in her eyes as she flaunted his gift. The road this far had been rocky for them...and somewhere in the back of his brain he knew that as soon as the morning came, their relationship would go back to being awkward and complicated. But, at the moment, he couldn't care. He couldn't think of anything outside of Rose.

"What are you thinking about?" Rose asked softly, an embarrassed smile hovering at the corner of her lips.

"You look really pretty tonight." Scorpius answered without even thinking about it.

"That's not what you were thinking." She accused.

"I swear." He promised. Rose tittered and glanced down.

"Oh." She said, looking around, suddenly aware of her surroundings, "The song is over."

"Oh." Scorpius looked around too, then he looked back at Rose, "I don't really want to stop."

"Me neither." Rose confided. Scorpius moved his hand from her hip to the small of her back, pulling her closer. Rose couldn't keep the breathless giggles in her chest. She let it out as he leaned her chin on Scorpius's shoulder. _And to think_, she thought to herself, _I thought something bad was gonna happen._

"What's going on?" Fiona demanded, the barest hint of hurt coloring her voice.

"It's nothing." James insisted.

"It isn't." Fiona said. James sighed and pulled Fiona off the floor, to the wall.

"It's honestly nothing, Fiona, don't worry about it."

"Come on, James, we don't lie to each other. We _can't_ lie to each other." She reminded him.

"Yeah?" James snapped. Fiona blinked a couple of times, startled.

"Yeah." She bit her lip. James's eyes strayed to Amy, who was now dancing with Landon. She met his eyes around Landon's arm. James ripped his gaze away and returned his attention to Fiona, who was looking more worked up by the second.

"Don't freak out, okay?" He begged.

"Tell me why I'm freaking out first."

"Amy..." James started, he paused when he saw Fiona's jaw drop in shock and he could have sworn her eyes flashed red. "Amy and I had a talk."

"Amy?" Fiona asked, voice strained. "Well, what did you two talk about?" She crossed her arms. James looked at her, expressionless.

"You told me Amy didn't have feelings for me."

"She told me she didn't." Fiona said forcefully.

"She told _me_ she did." James argued, "And she said that you knew."

"And you _believed _her?" Fiona squawked.

"I don't know, I just...don't know. But, Fiona, did you lie to me about it?"

"You know I would never lie to you." She insisted, when James raised an eyebrow she sneered and added, "Anymore."

"But did you lie _then_? You can tell me now and I won't be mad."

"I didn't." Fiona breathed. James didn't look convinced, Fiona felt her heart drop. "James?" She asked weakly.

"I'm trying..." He trailed off.

"You don't believe me." Fiona stated, blinking back tears. "After all of this, you still don't think you can trust me. Why would you pick her over me? I just...I don't believe this."

"Me neither." James sighed.

"James, you have to believe me, you _have_ to. You can't let her win, you can't let her ruin this!"

"Win what?" James asked, growing angry, "I don't _have_ to believe you, I can believe who I want. And who are you to judge? Like you care about this relationship."

"What?" Fiona gasped.

"You've been so busy butting into other people's relationships you haven't given a second thought to ours."

"I-that's not true! I've been trying to help other people have what we have. I've only been branching out because our relationship is so solid."

"Not as solid as you thought, I guess." James said. Fiona couldn't find words to respond. James brushed past her and left the great hall. He was nearly out of the room before Fiona caught on to what was happening. In a blind panic, she wheeled around and practically ran after him. As she passed Rose and Scorpius, Rose snapped out of her stupor. With a quiet apology, she pulled away and followed the older girl.

"James!" Fiona shouted in the entrance hall. James, already on the grand staircase, turned around. Millie, still sitting in the doorway with Sergei, twisted around at the call. Upon seeing Fiona storm across the hall, she excused herself and followed. Fiona didn't notice, she was staring up at the stairs at her boyfriend. James looked at her, dread swelling in the pit of his stomach. Her eyes were red and brimming with tears, her hair was falling out of its braid, and she watched him desperately, bottom lip trembling. James knew he was making a mistake, but his temper was getting the better of him. And his point was still there.

"Don't." She whispered, "Please."

"Sorry, Fi. But I-" He broke off, unsure of how to finish. It broke his heart to turn away from her and continue up the stairs. But that didn't stop him from doing. As he turned, Fiona felt something go off in her chest. She clapped her hand to her heart and made a noise that was a cross between a squeak and a gasp. Wincing and blinking furiously, she collapsed on the third step and sat there in shock as Millie and Rose approached her carefully. They sat on either side of their friend as tears gushed from her eyes.

"Aw, Fiona." Rose said, patting Fiona's hair, "What happened?"

"I don't know." Fiona breathed, "I just...I don't know." Millie rubbed Fiona's arm as she continued to cry.

"I knew it." Rose muttered, "I just _knew_ it. I knew this ball was bad news. With all of these new relationships and the complications. I knew one of them was going to go south."

"I know it's terrible to say but...I can't believe it was me." Fiona confided in her friends.

They couldn't believe it either.

* * *

**Okay...I'm uploading this. But you know why it took so long? Because this story has NOT been getting reviews. Not okay. Soo...**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	20. Breaking

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 20. Breaking_**

Winter break began the day after the Yule Ball. With everyone distracted by the ball, most people had to scramble to pack in time to catch the train.

As soon as Fiona arrived home with her family she went to her room and closed the door forcefully behind her. She spread herself across her bed and stared at the ceiling for a while, looking at her familiar surroundings. After a while she flipped over to her stomach and buried her head in the pillow. For over an hour she simply laid there, waiting for her mother to come up and ask what was wrong. After what seemed like forever, the door opened. Fiona looked up expectantly and scowled when she saw her older sister Nora standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"You're not mum." She said sourly.

"I know." Nora said, moving forward to sit at the foot of her sister's bed, "Mum sent me up here to see what was wrong."

"Why?"

"I guess she thinks I can handle it this time. Maybe you need a big sister more than a mother." Nora shrugged. Nora and Marina had a lot in common. They were both patient, soothing people with skin a little tanner than the rest of the family and hair a little blonder. Nora had the same thin face as her mother and Fiona. When they were younger, the two of them were the best of friends. Fiona's room was littered with moving pictures of the two of them playing together or dressing up. But after Nora went away to school they didn't get to see each other very often and they gradually grew apart. "Now," Nora said, putting a comforting hand on Fiona's back, "What's wrong?"

"It's James." Fiona sighed, figuring that beggars can't be choosers, "We're fighting."

"Again?" Nora asked, eyes widening in surprise. Fiona shot her a scathing look before continuing.

"At the Ball, it was the weirdest thing, he just suddenly got really mad at me and stormed off."

"Did he say why?"

"He still doesn't trust me," Fiona shook her head in disbelief, "See, he said that he was talking with Amy Vane. She said I was lying when I told him that she wasn't interested in him but I _wasn't_, she told me so! And he just doesn't believe me."

"But I thought that your whole relationship was based on mutual trust." Her older sister observed.

"It was. I don't know what happened." Fiona said. Nora was silent for a moment, mulling over the situation. "A little out of your league?" Fiona asked snarkily.

"No. Listen, Fiona, I know I've never really given you advice before, but you'll note that I _do_ have some experience when it comes to boys." She pointed out. Fiona blinked, suddenly remember the constant string of boyfriends that her sister had had while going through school. Of course, now she had found a prefect boyfriend that she was planning to marry that spring. Fiona had only met Jemis a couple of times, he seemed really into her older sister, and he made Nora really happy. While Fiona firmly held onto the belief that no one was good enough for her sister, she had accepted Jemis's presence.

"Okay, I can accept that. So, what do you make of my problem?"

"I think it's weird." Nora stated bluntly. Fiona gaped. "I didn't mean it like that, I just think it's strange that James of all people would flip like that. Was there anything else he was mad about?"

Fiona thought about it for a minute. Trying to remember the foggy argument. It seemed to her at the time that James was upset over nothing. Then she'd heard that he was talking to Amy and she'd assumed that the whole fight was the blonde chaser's fault. But maybe Fiona _had_ done something wrong...then she remembered.

"He said that I was so busy butting into other people's relationships that I didn't have time for ours." Fiona said.

"You got complacent." Nora summarized, looking at her younger sister with understanding.

"I wanted everyone else to have what we have. I wanted to help people out and our relationship seemed to be going so good."

"So you left it alone." She stroked Fiona's back, "It's okay, Fi. It's going to be okay."

"Well, what happened?" Fiona asked grumpily.

"Your relationship is never going to be perfect."

"Thanks," Fiona muttered sarcastically, "I feel so much better now."

"Oh, come on, you didn't let me finish." Her sister laughed, "Your relationship will never be perfect. You'll never be without disagreements or fights or strain. Even when your relationship is good, you'll have to focus on making it better. Being a happy couple takes a lot of work, you can't just leave it alone, you have to continue to nurture it and let it grow. I think _that_'s what James was upset about."

"Yeah?" Fiona chewed her lip, "I guess that makes sense. I didn't mean to...I didn't even notice I was doing it."

"Then just apologize, and set the record straight about Amy." Nora suggested. Fiona sat up, clutching the pillow to her stomach.

She met her older sister's gaze and asked seriously, "Will he take me back?" At the question Nora's face broke into a comfortable smile.

"I think so. You two are _perfect_ for each other. You won't let something silly like this come between you."

"Thanks, Nora." Fiona said with feeling, getting on her knees and embracing the older girl. Nora was startled at first but immediately relaxed and returned the hug.

"Anytime." She said. The door burst open and the twins ran in, ruining the sister-bonding moment by jumping onto the bed.

"Fiona! Mummy said that you'd help us in the garden!" Kayleigh said, bouncing up and down.

"She still makes me work in the garden, even though it's really boring." Thomas added indignantly.

"Okay, okay." Fiona said quickly, pulling away from Nora and trying to hush them, "Let's go." As Fiona stood and the twins took each of her hands, she looked back at Nora. She received a wink from her older sister before she was tugged from the room.

* * *

As Christmas arrived the Potter children waited in their living room for their parents to catch up. They'd been woken up early so that they could go celebrate Christmas with their extended family. Lily hummed herself a sleepy tune, completely oblivious to the tension in the room caused by Albus's suspicious stare at his older brother. For the duration of the break, James had acted completely normal. He'd talked and laughed with his family, caught them up on his life and listened to what they had to say. He joked and played small pranks on Ginny (with Harry's help, of course), he played Quidditch out back and encouraged Lily when she didn't do well. He made no mention of his row with Fiona and showed no signs of distress. Albus, however, knew better. Rose had filled him in on everything before leaving the castle for winter break. He knew that _something_ was going on inside his brother, but he didn't know exactly what. In just a moment's notice James would go from normal to wan, as long as he thought no one was looking. But this time, Albus was.

"What wrong?" He asked the moment James's content mask faded.

"Nothing." James said quickly, the mask firmly back in place.

"You looked upset about something." Albus persisted.

"I'm not." James snapped. His brother looked at him, unyielding. Finally, James sighed. "Rose told you, didn't she?"

"Yeah. Well, kind of. She told me everything she knew, which isn't much. What happened?"

"Are you all ready to go?" Ginny asked as she and her husband entered the living room, smiles and traveling cloaks on. For a moment James looked relieved, probably figuring the appearance of his parents would save him from answering his brother's question.

Albus turned toward their parents, pointed at James and said accusingly, "James and Fiona are fighting!"

"Again?" Ginny asked, looking at her oldest son with worry.

"What's it about this time?" Harry asked, looking more curious than was appropriate.

"I don't want to talk about it." James muttered, even though he knew better. His mother often took this as a personal challenge. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. Next to her, Harry looked amused, watching her with anticipation.

"Too bad. You know that now we _have_ to talk about it." Ginny said sharply, James cursed himself inwardly. "And we're not leaving until you do. Talk." She watched him with narrow eyes, Harry and Albus turned towards James expectantly, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hold up against her glare for long.

"Look, it's not a big deal. We just got in a fight..."

"During the Yule Ball." Albus slipped in. Ginny and Harry looked appalled.

"You fought with your girlfriend at the _ball_?" Ginny asked, flabbergasted.

"I'm not the bad guy here!" James insisted.

"Then explain."

"We're having trust issues." James explained. Ginny snorted, Harry shook his head, and Albus looked skeptical.

"Trust is not an issue with you two." Harry said matter-of-factly.

"You don't know that."

"Sure we do." Harry answered, "She trusts you to the end of the earth."

"You ran back into a burning building for her." Ginny added, "She trusts you with her _life_, because it's been proven that you'll do whatever you have to to protect it." James was silent and Ginny made a small hissing noise, "Unless you think you can't trust _her_ the same way." After thinking about it for a moment she added, "That's not fair, James."

"I know, I know." James ran his finger through his hair in aggravation, "I don't know what it was. But last year, Fiona told me something about Amy Vane that I don't think was-"

"_Amy Vane_?" Lily screeched, making everyone in the room jump. Since Lily was never a part of the conversation, they didn't realize she'd been listening, or even that she was awake. As it was, she looked about ready to drop from exhaustion, her veined eyes were wide as she scowled at her oldest brother. "Not Amy Vane again!"

"Lily, honey, you're tired. I told you not to stay up so late last night." Ginny moved across the room and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Lily shook it off and continued as if she hadn't said anything.

"Amy Vane was mean to Fiona! Amy Vane wasn't even all that nice to you! She never really liked any of us, and you chose Fiona. It doesn't matter now what Amy did or didn't say. The _point_ is that you chose Fiona. End of story. Don't let Amy Vane get to you anymore." Her eyelids drifted closed for a moment, then she opened them halfway, returning to her quiet, tired state. Everyone watched her with shock.

"Odd as it is, she's right." Ginny said softly after a minute or two, "I know that deep down, you trust Fiona. In the end, this Amy Vane doesn't really matter anymore. Fiona's better for you. She's knows you inside and out. She's seen the best and the worst of you and she still accepts you. She still wants you. I think that's pretty spectacular."

James didn't look convinced so Harry said, "James," He waited for his son to make eye contact with him before continuing seriously, "Haven't you wasted enough time?" That question knocked the wind from him. He'd often had the same thought. Between his naive state and the time spent with Amy he was convinced that they were all just distractions from being with Fiona. What was he doing messing with it again? He was wasting even more time. Harry patted him on the shoulder before moving to the fireplace. He took a handful of floo powder, threw it into the fire, stating clearly, "The Burrow." He was devoured by green flames, then he was gone.

James stepped out of the fireplace into utter chaos. Weasley's of all ages were running about, chatting, placing presents under the tree, and helping Mrs. Weasley set the table.

"Glad your here!" Mrs. Weasley said happily when she spotted them. She bustled over to give each of the Potters a hug. "Ginny, I need your help." She spotted James's sullen look. "Are you okay, dear?"

"Fine." James answered at once.

"He's just upset about a fight he had with Fiona." Albus put it. Mrs. Weasley looked like she was about to question further but Rose had come up behind her.

"Never mind that, I've got a _real_ problem." She said urgently, grabbing Albus's arm and dragging him off. Lily followed.

"What's the matter?" Albus asked, already tired of all the deep conversation.

"I haven't seen Scorpius since the ball, what am I going to say to him?" She asked, eyes wild, wringing her hands nervously. Albus groaned, he wished Rose would consult one of her better _girl_ friends on these types of matters.

"Dump him." He said flatly, his usual response. Rose stuck her tongue out at him. Her eyes strayed across the room to where James was leaning against the wall, looking devastated.

"What's up with him?" Rose asked, turning back to Albus eagerly, "Did you find out?"

"Yeah, but it's not all that interesting. Lily over here gave him a scolding regarding Amy Vane." Rose's eyebrows drew together at the name. Albus looked at Lily with a feeling of brotherly pride, "You know more than you let on, don't you?" He asked. Lily merely smiled mysteriously.

James felt embarrassed that he had overreacted, and that the situation was so obvious that _Lily_ could explain it to him. But now he had a problem. He had to make things right with Fiona, something everyone else seemed to be taking for granted. But he wasn't so sure he could just fix things with her. Every time his happy mask faded and he was left with a sad expression, it was because of the one image he couldn't get out of his head no matter how much he tried.

Fiona, all dressed up, hair coming undone, tears streaming down her face. On what started as one of the best nights of her life, watching him leave her behind.

* * *

**Remember how much I love you guys.**

**Review!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	21. Building Pressure

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 21. Building Pressure _**

The first thing Fiona did after returning from Christmas break was give Millie a big, reassuring hug. She'd walked into the common room and saw her friend sitting on the couch, looking even more withdrawn than usual.

"How was your break?" She asked, sitting down next to her.

"It was okay." Millie shrugged. She didn't tell Fiona that she'd spent most of the vacation avoiding one Sergei Stolojan. She'd gotten..._close_ to him somehow during that conversation during the Yule Ball. She didn't know how to react to it. She really did enjoy talking to him, but as his competition, she didn't think it was allowed. And she knew that she _definitely _couldn't trust him. He was a winner, and she didn't know what he'd be willing to do to ensure his victory. "How was _your_ break?" Millie asked in turn, desperate to get out of the spotlight, "Have you and James made up yet?"

"No, no we haven't. But I think everything's going to be okay." Fiona didn't seem confident, only...at peace. Millie raised an eyebrow but didn't question her friend further. "But back to you." Fiona said quickly and Millie grimaced, "What did you do over the break?"

"I was in the library most of the time." Millie admitted, reaching into her robes pocket and pulling out the banner that she was never without these days, "We've only got three months to figure out what this says."

"Oh." Fiona breathed, she had completely forgotten about the upcoming task. She'd been so busy with the ball and with James that she'd forgotten her promise to help her friend search for answers, "Sorry Millie, I should have been helping you like I said I would."

"Don't worry about it." Millie waved a hand dismissively, "I haven't found anything yet anyway, and I've been _living_ in the library for the past fortnight."

"Well, now we're all back and ready to help!" Fiona said with gusto. Millie nodded. Fiona leaned forward and took the banner out of Millie's hands. She laid it on the table, pulled out a quill and some parchment, and tore the paper into strips. She then scratched out the symbols on each strip and cordially handed the banner back to her friend. She gathered the strips and looked up as Rose and Albus approached. She held up one of the strips and said, "Hey, you two, feel like helping us solve a little mystery?" Rose's eyes lit up and she snatched the piece of parchment away.

"Of course!" She said excitedly, "Sorry, Millie, I've been meaning to help you out, we've just been busy what with the ball and everything."

"Don't worry about it. It's not your job, it's mine."

"Puh-_lease_." Rose rolled her eyes dramatically, "It _is_ our job to help you out. That's what friends do." To everyone's shock, Millie blushed. She ducked her head and let her short curls cascade around her face to hide it, but they had already seen. Rose gaped openly, Albus looked uncomfortable, Fiona looked at the blushing champion with pride. Smiling and blushing...this girl had come a long way from the timid, invisible Millie that Fiona had once known.

"Er...sorry..thanks...I just mean...we're friends?" Millie asked softly. Fiona and Rose stared at her incredulously.

"Of course we are." Rose said solemnly, sitting on Millie's other side, "You don't think so?"

"Well, I've never really had..." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "friends. You know, before." The other two made sympathetic noises and grabbed Millie in a group hug. James entered the common room and walked up beside Albus, looking nervously at the gaggle of girls.

"I missed something." He observed calmly.

"I think _I_ missed it." Albus said, he blew out a sigh and muttered, "_Girls_."

"Heard that!" Rose said loudly, breaking the hug and glaring at Albus.

Fiona rolled her eyes and muttered in the same tone, "_Boys_." Causing her and Millie to giggle lightly. Fiona looked up and met James' eyes. He looked back at her guiltily. She had just opened her mouth to say something when Lily ran into the common room and grabbed Fiona's robes.

"Fiona, Fiona!" She cried, "Ella's stuck in the trick step again, can you come get her out?" The Hogwarts staircases were littered with these trick steps, some vanished, some merely kept you there until people nice enough came along to pull you out. For most of the older students it was habit to skip these steps, Ella had not yet mastered the art. Thankfully, Ella was so small that it only took one person to wrap their arms around her little chest and pull her out. Since Ella was comfortable with just anyone pulling her out, Fiona was the preferred option.

"Of course." Fiona answered immediately as she stood. She put her hand on Millie's shoulder for a second, then followed Lily. James followed them for a few steps.

"Fiona?" He asked. She turned around and looked at him blankly. "Can we talk later?"

"Sure." She responded, voice distant and polite. James's heart sank, maybe she wasn't ready to forgive him. Maybe he'd really screwed things up. As Fiona left with Lily, James turned back to forlornly join the others. Albus and Rose looked at him sympathetically, supportively. Millie looked torn, she avoided looking at him and began to fiddle with her robes. Something that did not go unnoticed.

"Millie?" He asked, "What's wrong?" Millie just shook her head, still avoided his gaze. James sighed and sat next to her in the seat Fiona had just vacated, Millie looked the other direction. "You're mad at me too." He said.

"No." Millie said, "Well, maybe. Maybe I'm just confused. I'm not really sure what happened at the Yule Ball, but Fiona was really sad about it."

"I know, and it's my fault." James confessed. Millie didn't give in that easily.

"I sat with her on the staircase for an hour after you left. All she did was cry." Her voice wasn't accusing, it was soft.

"Millie, I'm going to make it up to her."

"You'd better." She muttered. James blinked in surprise, Rose smothered a smile with her hand, Albus coughed.

"That sounds like a threat." James said, stunned. She didn't respond, only looked around. "Wow, you've really come a long way." That got Millie to look at him, eyes wide with shock.

"What do you mean?"

"Used to be we could barely get a word out of you. And now you're sticking up for the people you love, standing up for what you believe in."

"I wouldn't say _that_." Millie looked away again, this time in embarrassment. Then she sighed, "I can't threaten you. I don't want anyone to end up more hurt. I just want things to turn out okay."

"And they will." James insisted. His friend looked unconvinced.

* * *

Classes started the next day. Rose stood nervously outside the Ancient Runes classroom. Scorpius was probably already inside, sitting at their table. On one hand, she couldn't wait to talk to him, since becoming friends with him they'd never been separated for more than a day or two. She'd missed him. But on the other hand, she felt that things were different now. Emotionally, something had happened over the ball and their dance, before she'd left in the middle to go be with Fiona. She should probably apologize for that. But then what? Did she treat him normally? Would things be awkward now? Or would they be closer than ever? She had the gold butterfly clip he'd given her in her bag, she fished it out and put it in her pocket for bravery and entered the classroom.

Scorpius _was_ already there, sitting at their table, just as she'd imagined. He looked up when she pulled out her chair and his cheeks got that slight tinge of pink that Rose loved to see. She smiled at him reassuringly, he was just as nervous to see her as she was, and that made her feel better.

"Hi." She said.

"Hullo." Scorpius replied shyly, "How was your break?"

"Uneventful." Rose shrugged, "Yours?"

"My parents had some people over for their annual Christmas party. There's no one my age and sometimes it's a little boring, but the food is good. And afterwards my family always sits in the study, just us. Not always talking, but it's a time for us to just be together. It's kind of a tradition."

"That's so nice." Rose said in awe, "Christmas is crazy in my family. We go to my grandparents and there are Weasleys and Potters and Lupins running around everywhere. Sometimes more than that. It's crazy but it's so much fun. I love my family." She giggled and Scorpius smiled appreciatively. "Hey," Rose said, tone more serious, "I'm sorry about leaving so suddenly after the ball, it's just that..."

"Fiona needed your help." Scorpius finished, small smile still in place. When Rose looked surprised, his smile widened, "I saw her leaving, too. Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Rose thought about it, she knew how James was ready to apologize, she also knew how hurt Fiona had been. Albus had filled her in on the whole story and she hoped that things with them would work out. But when she thought about Fiona, collapsed on the staircase, she wondered if they'd be okay. She hadn't heard Fiona's thoughts since the night of the event, maybe she wasn't going to forgive him. Even though part of her thought this was silly, it was still possible. It was plain to everyone how in love James and Fiona were, but maybe that just wasn't enough. Rose shook her head to clear it, "I hope so."

"I hope so, too." Scorpius said. They held eye contact, enjoying the nice moment. Then Rose remembered something.

"Oh!" She dove beneath the table to dig through her bag.

"What?" Scorpius asked in alarm.

"I forgot that I have something for you." She pulled out a smal piece of parchment and handed it to him. Scorpius studied it for a minute before recognizing the strange symbols.

"Isn't this the inscription for the second task."

"Yup. It's at the end of March, which is only a couple of months away! We've been so busy that we'd completely forgotten to research. We still don't know what these symbols mean, so we need your help, if you want to, that is."

"Of course I want to help." Scorpius said simply, looking at the symbols, they were no more understandable and no more familiar than the last time he saw them. "How's Millie doing?"

"Same old, same old." Rose shrugged, "I don't really think she has a panic mode. Well, not a _real_ one. It probably hasn't sunk in yet that there _is_ a second task."

"They're supposed to get harder as they go." Scorpius told her warningly, "Is she ready for that?" Rose thought about how Millie looked when she had emerged from the first task; caked in mud, covered in scratches, utterly exhausted, and with a new toughness that was good...but at the same time frightening. While underground Millie had gained a thicker skin, an extra layer of hardness. Right now, it made her brave enough to stand up for her friends and attend a ball. But after another task or two Rose worried that the daunting challenges would start to negatively affect her friend. If she got _too_ tough, _too_ hard. It would get rid of everything that made Millie Millie and leave them with a new person. Rose didn't think that would be for the best, for Millie or for any of them. They didn't need more drama, they didn't need to lose a friend.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius broke into her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You look upset."

"I'm just worried." Rose wrapped her hands around her elbows, trying to comfort herself, "What if, after this year, things change? What if they'll never be the same?" What if Millie became cold and clinical? What if James and Fiona didn't make up? What if the stress got to all of them and tore them apart.

She was probably just being silly.

But then again, maybe not.

* * *

**Herro! **

**I've just started college and it's very, very busy so it will probably effect my updating habits. But I'll get to this when I can.**

**Last chapter has only gotten one review. Now, I'm not all impressed with this one so I'll let it slide. But next chapter will be pretty awesome so I expect to hear from all of you then, deal?**


	22. Crushing, Blushing, Crushed

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Road To No Promises**

_**Chapter 22. Crushing, Blushing, Crushed **_

" 'ow waz your Christmas?" Justine asked at the lunch table that day. Adrien, Didier, Michelle, Millie, Fiona, Rose, and Albus were sitting around her.

"Fine. How was yours?" Fiona asked, recognizing that Justine was only asking to get the return question. She wanted to brag. She grinned and pulled on a gold chain that was hanging around her neck.

"Adrien got me this necklace." She said proudly, showing the small gold heart dangling from the chain. The girls oohed over it.

"How cute." Millie observed.

"Oh, that's so romantic, Adrien." Fiona teased. Adrien didn't look up from his plate.

"Where did you go for break?" Justine asked the others to draw the attention away from her obviously (to her, anyway) embarrassed boyfriend.

"Most of us just went home. Except for Millie, that is." Rose answered. Justine and Didier swiveled their heads to look at Millie, eyebrows drawn together in surprise and puzzlement.

"You were 'ere? I didn't see you ze 'ole time." Didier said.

"Well, I've been around. You know, the common room, the library." Millie answered sheepishly. They lapsed into silence for a moment as they absorbed the inevitable approach of the second task that both Millie and Adrien would be participating in.

"You should 'ave said something. We would 'ave loved to see you if we knew you were still 'ere." Justine continued.

"I was pretty busy." Millie insisted. Just as she said that she glanced up and saw Sergei and a group of his Durmstrang buddies enter the dining hall, she quickly ducked her head before he could see her. Fiona turned around in her seat to see what Millie was looking at, then turned back to Millie with one eyebrow raised.

"Why are you avoiding Sergei Stolojan?" She asked. Everyone else turned in their seats to stare at Sergei as he found a seat at the Hufflepuff table.

"He _is_ pretty cute, huh, Millie?" Michelle asked with a wicked glint in her eyes. Millie blushed and refused to look up. Fiona, Michelle, and Justine giggled.

"Is that why you've been hiding out all break?" Fiona asked, grinning widely.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Millie muttered.

"You're so cute when you have a crush!" Michelle laughed.

"I _don't_ have a crush."

"Stop that, of course you do."

"No, it's not like..." Millie looked up, at a loss for words. Fiona's grin faded and she became more serious.

"Leave her alone, it's probably nothing." She leaned forward and looked at her friend grimly, "Obviously, I wouldn't trust him with you both in the competition."

"I wouldn't either." Millie answered at once, glancing past Fiona to Sergei, who was laughing, "All he wants is to win."

"Maybe." Justine said doubtfully. When they all looked at her she shrugged and said simply, "Victory for ze sake of victory iz empty. One day 'e will learn zat."

"You're all blowing this way out of proportion." Millie put her hands out in front of her and met each person's eyes to be sure they all heard her, "I've talked to him once, maybe two times. I don't have a crush on him, I'm not friends with him, I'm not avoiding him." She stared them down as though daring them to argue.

"Millie's right, we need to focus on the _really_ important stuff." Fiona said, putting her palms down on the table importantly, "I got the coolest thing for Christmas..."

* * *

James had no idea where Fiona was. It was late, and he was the only one left in the common room. He meant to talk to Fiona yesterday, but they never got around to it. Everyday that he went without talkting to her was agony, and he was determined to solve it before going to bed. The problem was that Fiona hadn't come back to the common room yet. What could be keeping her so late? Did she really not want to talk to him? He could understand if she didn't, he just really needed her to hear him out.

At long last, the portait hole opened and Fiona walked into the common room. She spotted James, looked around and, upon seeing no one else, looked confused.

"Is it _that_ late?" She asked in dismay.

"Yes."

"Why are you still up?"

"I need to talk to you." They took a serious look at each other, sizing themselves up. Without answering, Fiona walked across the room, dropped her bag to the floor by the couch and sat next to him. Their bodies faced each other but their heads were turned away. "Where were you?"

"At the library. Sorry to keep you waiting." After a minute of silence she prompted, "So? What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry about what happened at the Yule Ball." James focused on Fiona's left shoulder, not wanting to meet her eyes, "I shouldn't have let Amy get to me. I know that you trust me, and it's not fair that I don't trust you the same way. Amy has no power over me anymore. She's the one who walked away and I don't regret letting her do it. She doesn't affect me, she doesn't matter anymore. _You're_ what matters to me now. And I'm so sorry that I hurt you, I'm sorry I ruined the ball and made you cry, I'm sorry it took me so long to apologize. But I don't want to lose you now, I just got you and I don't want to waste any more time. I keep screwing things up by being stupid. I don't know if I can say that I'll never be stupid again, because I probably will be. But I'm sorry, and I _can_ promise that I won't stop being sorry. And I really want you to forgive me, but I can understand if you don't. But I had to say that first."

Fiona looked at him blankly for a few moments before saying in an unreadable voice, "I'm sorry, James." He gulped, did this mean she wouldn't take him back?

"For what?" He asked, voice quavering the smallest amount.

"I've been so wrapped up in helping other people with their relationships that I've ignored ours. I'm sure Amy isn't the only reason you got mad. We should never get complacent in our relationship, because we'll never be perfect, and we can't break up over every stupid fight. I know I need to spend more time focusing on us. We're still going to fight, but it'll be okay because maybe we can know that even when we argue, it won't be the end of the world. I don't want to give you up over something as stupid as anger because," She paused, "because I love you." James finally met her eyes, she gave him a small, reassuring smile, "So, James, _I'm_ sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about." James insisted.

"And I think it's pretty obvious that I forgive you, too." Fiona took his hand and grinned, "We need to stop being so overdramatic." Next time he decided he'd take a deep breath, think about it calmly. She was right, he was always too dramatic. He didn't want that anymore. He let go of Amy, he let go of his anger, and he completely let Fiona in.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Fiona asked shrewdly. James laughed and looked down at their intertwined hands. "For what it's worth," Fiona said quietly, looking away, "Amy _did_ tell me that you weren't her type. And I told her not to lead you on. That's the truth." Since she had nothing to gain by lying, James believed her.

"You know what? It doesn't even matter." He grinned, "Amy's old news." They sat in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's presence. Suddenly, James slapped his forehead.

"What?" Fiona asked in alarm, startled by both the sudden sound and movement.

"I almost forgot." James reached into his robe pocket with his left hand, "I got you a Christmas present." He pulled out a small, painted glass unicorn. It stood only an inch tall and it's body was painted white, the mane and tail light blue. It's horn and hooves were glittery gold. It pranced around in James' hand, looking this way and that.

"Oh." Fiona whimpered, holding out her hand. James deposited the tiny figurine into her hand and she held it close to her face. The unicorn stepped over to the very edge of her hand and stretched out its small neck, sniffing her nose. Delicately, she lifted her other hand and used her finger to stroke its mane. The unicorn danced around, whipping its head back and forth happily. Fiona smiled and told him, "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"It reminded me of you, I got it a while back. I'm glad you like it." Careful not to crush her gift, Fiona leaned forward and hugged her boyfriend around the neck.

"It's perfect. You're so _perfect_." She gushed.

"Hardly." James scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I'll be right back." Fiona said, standing. Petting the unicorn the whole way, Fiona dashed upstairs to the dormitory. She placed the unicorn on her bedside table and pointed at it seriously, giving it firm instructions to "Stay on the table. If you fall off, you'll break. Stay away from the edges." The unicorn didn't seem to be listening. She created a magical barrier at the edges of the table, just in case, and ducked under her bed. She pulled out a parcel and raced back downstairs. She stepped confidently up to the couch and dropped the parcel on James' lap, he winced in surprise.

"I got you a Christmas present, too. Open it." She instructed, folding herself up on the couch next to him and watching him eagerly. James tore away the plain brown paper and tossed it to the side, hoping he'd remember to take care of it later. There were a few things remaining in his lap: a soft crimson cap with a matching knit scarf. The ends of the scarf were a bit misshapen and the hat had a couple of gaps. Classic rookie knitting mistakes. "I made it myself." Fiona said proudly, "Your grandmum is teaching me." James flinched and looked at Fiona with one eyebrow raised, she smiled sheepishly, no one valuing their life would ever call Molly and Arthur Weasley Grandpa and Grandmum, they simply didn't stand for it. "Anyway," She plowed through the awkward moment, "I'm not very good, but it's a start, right?"

"Thank you." James said seriously. He appreciated the time and effort she put into making something just for him.

"There's something else." His girlfriend pointed out. James picked up the scarf and hat and revealed a notebook with a plain, brown leather cover. "It's a journal." She informed him, "You write in it whenever you get mad at me. Anything that frustrates you. Then don't reread it for a day. The next day, open it up and read it with a clear head, see if it was worth getting upset over. If it was, I expect you to talk to me about it. If not, it's a good way to vent."

"You got me a journal just to write about how angry you make me?" James asked in a strained voice. How many girls would be okay with that? Little lone suggest it. Fiona shrugged, then nodded.

"Yeah. I know it's kind of strange, but..."

"It's also kind of perfect." James finished. He his presents down on the coffee table and hooked his elbow around Fiona neck, pulling her into him. "I missed you."

"It was only a couple of weeks." She giggled, then sobered, "Yeah, I missed you, too."

"Let's never fight again."

"Yeah, _that's_ realistic."

* * *

**Ugh. This one's kinda short. I feel bad that these haven't been up to snuff lately! I don't know what it is... They get better, I promise.**


	23. A Toast to Matters of the Heart

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 23. A Toast To Matters Of The Heart _**

The weeks leading up to Valentine's day were filled with books. Millie and he friends spent every free moment they had in the library, trying vainly to decode her clue for the next task. The rest of the time they spent working on their homework. Fiona, James, and Michelle began having late-night study parties in the common room with various other seventh years that needed to study for their N.E.W.T exams. Millie, as school champion, was excused from the end-of-the year exams, but would have to take the N.E.W.T tests during the summer to put the scores on her job applications. James and Rose also had to juggle in Quidditch Practice.

Needless to say, when Valentine's day rolled around, no one was prepared. There was the annual Hogsmeade trip that no one was planning on attending until Rose slammed her fists down on the Breakfast table that morning, drawing stares from other Gryffindors and Beauxbatons. Rose paid them no mind as she stared down the group at large.

"We've been doing nothing but work ever since Christmas vacation." She scolded, "It won't kill us to have fun for one measly day."

"Yes, it will." James groaned dramatically.

"That's the stress talking. Really, everyone? It's _Valentine's day_!"

"It is?" Fiona asked, looking around in alarm. James frowned, puzzled, Lily and Ella giggled, Michelle stared at her plate, Justine covered a smile with her hand. Adrien didn't look up, Didier shook his head. Albus stared up at his cousin blankly. Rose looked between each of their faces and facepalmed.

"That's it." She said with finality. "We're all going, you now have no say in the matter."

"Going where?" Demi asked, sliding into the empty seat next to Adrien. She didn't look awkward as he ignored her, she watched Rose with rapt attention.

"To Hogsmeade. For Valentine's day."

"But I thought you and Albus couldn't go to Hogsmeade this year. Remember the whole 'setting the school on fire' incident?" Fiona pointed out.

"What?" Justine choked on her food and Didier raised his eyebrows.

"We're getting time off for good behavior." Rose answered, ignoring Justine's outburst, "I just asked Professor McGonagall _very_ nicely and, since it was for Valentine's day and I'd made her cookies, she said we could go."

"Maybe I don't want to go." Albus complained. Rose glared at him in a way that strongly reminded him of his mother, he shrank away. Rose turned back to the others with a bright smile. "There. It's settled." She said with finality. The redhead sat down and picked up her fork.

"Well," Michelle said slyly, "I guess a certain Slytherin asked you to go with him, right, Rose?" Rose didn't answer, she pushed her food around on her plate with the smallest of smirks playing across her lips.

"It's not fair. We don't get to go yet." Lily complained, gesturing to her small friend, who nodded.

"You can go next year." Fiona said soothingly, "It'll be worth the wait."

"I _can't_ wait." Lily fidgeted impatiently, making Fiona smile.

Millie, who hadn't said anything all morning, looked up and stated calmly, "I'm not going."

"What? Why not?" Rose demanded.

"I'm busy." Millie said with a shrug, determined to keep her eyes from straying to the Hufflepuff table where the Durmstrang champion ate.

"You're coming." Rose said sternly, "Even if we have to drag you out of that library. You know, sunlight won't kill you."

"Hm. Sunlight." Millie gazed off reminiscently. Since it was mid-february, there wasn't much sunlight to speak of.

"It'll be fun." Demi assured her from down the table.

"We 'ave to go. See you een ze village." Justine said as she, Didier, and Adrien got up from the table and left for greener pastures. Demi scooted down a couple of seats to be next to James.

"Hey, Michelle, you didn't look too excited about the Hosmeade trip." Fiona adressed her almost-sister. Michelle looked at her, face without emotion. Fiona lowered her voice and leaned forward, "Did you and Didier break up?"

"No, we were never really together." Michelle put down her fork, "I don't know. But it's not a big deal. I'm still coming, and I'm still excited."

"You know, if you really don't want to go, you don't have to."

"I don't want to go." Albus interjected. Rose punched him in the arm.

"Not you. We haven't been to Hogsmead all year! Why don't you want to go?"

"It's cold. And you're going to abandon me to be with Scorpius and then what? I'll just be sitting around, all by myself."

"Don't be so negative, there's plenty of fun things to do. And I didn't even say anything about Scorpius, why is everyone convinced I'll see him? I don't even know if he's going or not." Rose scolded. Everyone looked away innocently, not believing a word of it.

* * *

Rose sipped her Butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. True to Albus's words, she'd seen Scorpius at the gates and rushed off, leaving him in the care of Millie and Michelle. Now Scorpius sat next to her at a small table in the crowded pub. They talked about random things like homework, Quidditch, and the upcoming second task.

In the corner, Albus sat sulkily between Millie and Michelle. The unlikely group sat in awkward silence, not sure of what to say to each other. Instead, they watched their friends go about their business. They watched Rose and Scorpius talking lightly, and saw Fiona and James leave after their butterbeer. There was a group of Durmstrang boys in the center of the room causing a bit of a ruckus, which Millie pointedly ignored. Justine and Adrien were at the bar, talking quietly to each other.

"I knew Rose would leave me." Albus said finally, then he made a disgusted noise, "Valentine's day."

"I couldn't agree more." Michelle pouted.

"You always have a boyfriend on Valentine's day." Albus reminded her.

"Not this year. And you know what? Having a date ruins the day."

"Huh?"

"All I can think about right now are all the boys I've celebrated Valentine's day with. But it's stupid, because I won't have a boyfriend _all_ the time. And just because I don't on Valentine's day doesn't mean my day is ruined. It's just another day."

"If only." Albus rolled his eyes and mocked Michelle's tone as he said, "I'm Michelle. I've had too many boyfriends, people love me too much, I'm too pretty to be single."

"I don't think I'm too pretty." Michelle said, taken aback.

"I was kidding." The fourth-year muttered.

"You weren't. I know I have nothing to complain about, okay? But I don't think I'm _too good_ for Valentine's day, or having a boyfriend. Maybe I'm just a bit bitter on a day that celebrates couples and I'm not part of one."

"At least you've had a few good years. Millie and I have never even been in a relationship. At least, I don't think so. Millie?" Albus turned to look at Millie, who was obviously not paying much attention. "Millie?"

"Hm?" Her eyes snapped up to Albus.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" He asked. Looking embarrassed, she shook her head. He didn't draw attention to it, though, as he turned back to Michelle, "See?"

"You're right. I do complain a lot." Michelle slumped in her seat.

"Just remember that you have a lot to be thankful for." Millie suggested softly, "It'll make you feel better. Last year at this time, James and Fiona were fighting, and I spent Valentine's day talking between the two of them. The year before that I didn't have anyone, even friends, to spend the day with."

"The last few years were relationships that I'm glad to be out of." Michelle said thoughtfully, "And now I have time to focus on me. I don't need a boyfriend, I've always had a boyfriend."

"That's the spirit." Albus said cheerfully, the three of them sat up straighter.

Michelle lifted her bottle and offered a toast, "To being single."

"To being single." Millie and Albus agreed, clanking bottles before taking a drink. No sooner had Millie taken a sip than Sergei appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, at her elbow.

"Millie, vould you mind showing me to the joke shop?" He asked. Millie stared at him for a minute, finding it incredibly strange that Sergei Stolojan would ask anyone for directions, or help of any kind.

"I guess." Millie answered politely, getting to her feet. She said a quick goodbye to Michelle and Albus, who stared after her with dampened spirits.

"So much for not needing romance." Albus grumbled.

"She probably has no idea what she's doing." Michelle said reassuringly, "And at least we still have each other."

"Michelle? Can we talk?" Michelle whipped around to see Didier standing behind her, the corners of his mouth turned up the tiniest bit at her surprise. She didn't even hesitate as she followed him out, leaving Albus alone.

"I knew I should have gone to detention today." He said to himself, taking a swig of his drink.

Outside, Millie walked side-by-side with Sergei. The cold February weather nipped at her skin, she had on her thickest sweater and cloak, her Gryffindor scarf was wrapped around her nose and mouth as well as her neck. Her matching hat was pulled down to her ears, flattening her curls until they exploded in a mess of tangled hair between her hat and scarf. Her boots kicked slush and snow out of her path and her mittened hands clasped her scarf, keeping it in place. Sergei, seeming comfortable in just his winter cloak, watched her with amusement. After half a block of feeling him stare at her, she turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"What?" She demanded, voice muffled by cloth.

"You look cold." He observed.

"My parents are paleontologists, they work near the equator a lot, most of their digs are in the desert. I'm used to warm. I don't like the cold."

"Vell, you look very funny, like a bundle of blankets." Sergei said with a teasing grin. As they walked, his grin faded and he edged minutely closer to Millie.

"Are you nervous?" He asked quietly.

"What?" Millie squawked, eyes widening as she stepped away from him. Why would she be nervous? She wasn't nervous that they were alone together. She _certainly_ wasn't nervous about how close he was getting. These, however, were lies. For some reason, being alone with Sergei made her very, very nervous.

"About the task." Sergei clarified, looking at her quizzically.

"Oh." Millie blinked. That made more sense. He wanted information about the second task. "I'm not discussing the task with you."

"I did not expect you to." Sergei squinted at her, "Are you vell?"

"I'm fine." She answered sharply.

"Are you? Because I could haff svorn that you've been avoiding me."

"I'm not." Millie pulled up short. Sergei stopped too and looked at her seriously. Millie watched him calculatingly. She couldn't figure him out. He uncharacteristically asked not only for directions but for a guide, then he brings up the second task, which would have only made sense. But he didn't ask about what she'd done for the task or if she'd solved the clue. He only asked how she felt about it, if she was nervous or okay. Why would an egocentric maniac spend so much time talking about _her_? Maybe Sergei was all talk, or mostly talk. Maybe deep down he was nice and actually cared about other people. Or, more likely, he used his nice guy act to serve his own ends. Sergei watched her battle her internal conflict calmly, his eyes dull.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" He asked seriously.

"I don't _trust_ you very much." Millie corrected honestly.

"That is fair." Sergei sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry." Millie said, without any idea of why she was actually apologizing, "But you're all about winning, and we're competitors. You can see why I wouldn't want to get too friendly."

"You're pretty friendly vith Adrien." Her companion pointed out, sounding aggravated.

"Adrien and I don't talk. Not about the tasks, not about anything." Millie answered with a shrug.

"I vish you could trust me, I vant you to like me."

"I suppose that'd be nice." The girl said cautiously, "But that's not going to happen. Thanks for talking to me at the ball. I like you plenty, but you also..." she searched for the right word, "scare me."

"I do." Sergei looked down. He locked his jaw as he studied the ground. Millie hovered there nervously, not liking to make _anyone_ mad, little lone someone who already had more than enough reason to resent her. "I'm scary now. Your dinosaur isn't nearly so frightening now, is it?"

"That's not what I meant." Millie said quickly. He looked up, his expression strange.

"Don't vorry about it. I get it. I vill see you later." He started to walk away, but he turned back to her and said, "I look forward to the second task, this one has a...cutting edge to it." And he left, in the wrong direction.

"What about the joke shop?" Millie called after him.

"I haff already been to the joke shop." Sergei called back over his shoulder, and he strode away, leaving Millie in the cold with her thoughts. She was absolutely befuddled by the whole conversation. Did he really want her to like him? Or was it a ploy to get her guard down? And what about the second task? Did he mean that he'd already solved the clue? He was trying to fluster her, she decided, taking advantage of her girly emotions. He must have been playing with her. Millie sighed and put a hand to her forehead. She couldn't wait for the stupid tournament to be over with, it was making her crazy.

* * *

Scorpius walked Rose back to the castle late that afternoon. It had been a nice day in which they'd enjoyed each other's company. And while this worked for them, and always had, it made Rose feel as though they were beating around the bush, and she was getting tired of it. If she liked Scorpius (which she did very much) she should just tell him. She was _pretty_ sure that he liked her too. And then there was always the off-chance that their time together didn't mean the same thing to him as it did to her. Either way, she had decided a while back that it should be his call. But she also knew that he was shy, and if she was waiting for him to make a solid move, she might be waiting forever.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius asked as they neared the castle. Rose had been shaking and rubbing her hands the entire walk.

"My mittens are too thin." She complained, frowning at the scarlet pieces of cloth that looked great but also weren't mad to endure the cold.

"Here." Scorpius said, reaching out. He carefully took Rose's hand and wrapped it in his own. Rose felt the hand immediately warm up, along with the rest of her. "Wait," Scorpius said before they reached the steps, "I need to show you something." He used his grip on her hand to pull her gently around the side of the building.

"What is it?" Rose asked. She looked around but saw nothing but snow. Scorpius used his right hand to pull his wand out of his pocket and point it at the ground.

"I want to show you a spell I just learned." He muttered under his breath and moved the wand around, framing the snow in front of them. Before their very eyes, tiny green sprouts poked out of the white blanket. The sprouts grew, forming buds out of which flowers of pink, purple, and blue, bloomed.

"Beautiful." Rose complimented, looking closely at the flowers.

"Step back." Scorpius instructed. The redhead looked at him, he jerked his head back, indicating that she should move. Confused, Rose stepped back. She expected Scorpius to stay put, but he moved with her, still holding her hand. They took a few steps backward and Scorpius said, "Now look at them." She turned her head to the flowers and swallowed a gasp. The flowers didn't just sprout from the ground in the middle of winter, they were arranged into words, forming the sentences: _I like you. Do you like me?_ The little girl inside her giggled and applauded. Never had she imagined something this cute and romantic would happen to her. She glanced at Scorpius, who was watching her reaction nervously, and smiled.

She took out her own wand and pointed it at the ground. Beneath is question, red flowers sprouted up to form a single word: _Duh_.

* * *

**Okay, we finally have a decent chapter! YAYY!**

**You know what that means!**

**Review!**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	24. The Message

**JAMES POTTER  
And The Triwizard Champion**

**_Chapter 24. The Message _**

It was a week after Valentine's day and Rose was sure they must have read through the entire library. She dropped her head helplessly against the book she had open on the table. She and Albus had been in the library for over an hour that day, rereading things for the third or fourth time, hoping to find something that would help them decipher Millie's clue about the second task. With mere weeks between them and the big challenge, the group had kicked their search into high gear. Fiona, James and Millie were camped out in the restricted section, combing their way through the strangest, dustiest books in the library. Rose and Albus sat at one of the study tables. Lily and Ella were in the next aisle, having apparently given up the search to use the stack of read books to make a staircase to help Ella reach the fourth shelf.

"I hate this." Rose groaned into the book.

"I've been on the same page for the last half an hour." Albus said in a dazed voice, "I've read it about ten times."

"Then turn the page."

"I don't want to. It won't have the answer either."

"It might."

"It won't."

"I know." Rose lifted her head and looked at the parchment again. Using her wand, she cut each of the characters into their own little boxes. She moved the squares around, rearranging the characters. "Maybe they're in the wrong order."

"We can't even recognize them yet, that's the problem." Albus reminded her. His cousin didn't answer, she only continued to play with the parchment. With a shake of his head, he pushed away from the table. He went back to his fruitless search through the bookshelves, looking for anything that stood out. Becoming quickly frustrated, Rose threw all of the squares into a pile and flattened it with the palm of her hand. Sighing she began to separate them, but then she noticed something. She froze, seeing how two overlapped pieces had a line connecting them. The two pieces seemed to fit together. Cautiously, afraid to get her hopes up, Rose leafed through the other pieces until she found another marking that fit with the other two.

"Albus! _Albus_!" She whispered loudly. Albus returned and looked over her shoulder. "It's not a note, it's a puzzle!" The two of them eagerly set in to this new information. Albus quickly helped Rose arrange the pieces. In a matter of minutes, they had a design. The markings formed the rough outline of an eye. It was mostly blank with small lines in the iris. Rose magically sealed the image together and picked it up, running for the restricted section. "Sorry, it's an emergency, I just need to talk to them!" Rose explained a little louder than was appropriate when Madame Pince tried to stop her. She dashed through the gate to the restricted section excitedly, Albus right behind her. Lily and Ella, upon hearing the commotion, also joined them.

"You're not allowed to be in here with permission from-" Madame Pince began, following the younger students.

"I'm sorry, Madame Pince, but it's really, _really_ important."

"Please, Madame Pince?" Fiona asked kindly. The old librarian made a face that looked like she was sucking a lemon.

"Five minutes." She said sternly, "Then I'm coming back to kick you all out." She turned on her heel and stormed off, muttering to herself.

"What is it?" James asked quietly, looking up from the homework he was trying to do at the same time as his research.

"We've figured it out." Albus said proudly.

"What?" The seventh years looked up at the younger students in shock.

"What do you mean?" Fiona asked with a disbelieving tone. Rose set the image down on the table in front of them, they all gathered around to look at the eerie eye.

"They weren't letters or words at all. I cut them all up and pieced them together, and we got this from it." Rose explained. Millie's head snapped up, eyes wide as she remembered Sergei's statement "this one has a...cutting edge to it." So Sergei _had_ solved the clue. But why tell her? Was he trying to help?

"Wait a minute," Fiona whispered, "I know this."

"You do?" Albus asked. Fiona nodded and shifted through the pile of books in front of her. She found a dingy, plain gray book and pulled it out. She opened the watermarked pages and flipped through them frantically, stopping when she reached a page completely covered with the same image of a dark eye. It was black and cold-looking, a heavy shadow beneath it. They crowded around excitedly as Fiona read the corresponding caption aloud,

"The Eye of Ezimon is an age-old symbol, the meaning of which has been lost to most. The drawing, originally by explorer and artist Ellion Ezimon, was first seen during Ezimon's study of giants. Ezimon drew what he saw as he snuck up on a sleeping giant. He hadn't finished, however, when the giant awoke and Ezimon fled. He finished the drawing at a later date, where he filled in the eye with black, saying that when the giant looked at him, he knew he was about to die. So close to the giant's eye, he saw into its black soul. The drawing has then both a literal and a figurative interpretation. The symbol used to be widely known, but has since been lost after Ezimon's untimely demise on the Alps. Now the symbol, which used to mean a giant's black and dangerous personality, has fallen into obscurity."

They took a moment to absorb the short paragraph.

"Giants?" Millie squeaked finally, "The second task has something to do with giants?"

"It looks that way." James observed grimly.

"That's not much of a clue." Lily complained.

"What about giants? What are you supposed to do?" Ella asked.

"Well, for starters, we're going to have to read up on a new subject." Fiona said calmly, closing the book and placing it back on the shelf. She returned the rest of the books while everyone watched and pulled down a couple more, these ones based solely on the study of giants. "If we don't know what Millie has to do about the giant, we're going to learn everything we can about giants so she'll be prepared. And best look up some good curses and charms, too." Everyone stared at her, she stared back, "What are you all waiting for? Millie only has a couple weeks! Let's go!" The younger students rushed out of the restricted section, leaving the drawing behind. The image stared Millie down, and she tried not to be intimidated by it, but she was. Fiona caught James staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"You are the best." He said evenly. Fiona cocked her head. "You just take everything in stride. Second Task? Let's look into it. Giants? No problem. You're great in emergencies. Better than me."

"Oh, please." Fiona rolled her eyes, "You're good in emergencies, too."

"No, I lose my head in emergencies and do things without thinking, like running into a burning building."

"That was brave."

"And pretty stupid." He looked at her for a moment before saying, "But I'm glad I did it."

"Of course you are." His girlfriend replied off-handedly. Millie fought the urge to roll her eyes as she turned around in her seat, tapping her companions on the shoulders. They looked at her in surprise.

"Hi. Sorry to interrupt the moment, but _I'm_ not so nearly calm as Fiona in that I will have to _face_ a giant in a few weeks and could really use some help preparing. So I was just thinking that maybe now isn't the time or place." Fiona grinned and James looked sheepish.

"Of course, Millie. We need to help you prepare, that's what's most important." Fiona said.

"We'll get you out of there safe and sound." James agreed.

"Thanks." The champion said, not quite able to force a smile.

* * *

A week before the second task, Rose sat in her Ancient Runes class, chewing on the tip of her quill. She wasn't taking notes on the lecture like she should have been, her mind was a million miles away.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius whispered, leaning closer so that she could hear. She didn't, she wasn't paying enough attention. So Scorpius nudged her arm with his elbow and repeated the question when she looked at him.

"I'm just stressed." She assured him quietly. He raised an eyebrow in silent question. When she didn't answer he mouthed, _second task?_ Rose nodded.

A lot of her stress was a result of the upcoming task. After spending weeks researching how dangerous giants could be and how strong they were and how hard they were to beat, she was really worried about Millie. Of course, she knew Millie could handle herself. After all, she'd completed the first task. But that task had been hardest for her and she didn't look too good coming out of it. And she just couldn't see soft-spoken Millie going up against a giant. The image was just too bizarre! She was glad _she_ wasn't the one doing to task. But she knew that however stressed she was about it, it was one hundred times worse for Millie.

Adding on to the regular stress of homework and grades, there was also the responsibilities of being Quidditch captain. It was hard to schedule practices while also keeping up with homework and helping Millie research. Also with the captain's badge came the knowledge that the rivalry Gryffindor-Slytherin game was fast approaching. It sounded silly, but Rose didn't want to play against Scorpius. They both knew it was just business, but if Scorpius had the Quaffle and Rose had the shot, she'd have to hit a bludger at him, and Rose rarely missed. She worried that she wouldn't be able to bring herself to it. Worse was that thought that she _could_, and would, and Scorpius would get hurt, or be mad at her for it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Scorpius asked.

"I can't." Rose whispered back mournfully. The others had made her promise not to discuss the nature of the second task with _anyone_, in case word got out and they got in trouble. Scorpius knew this, of course, and was disappointed. He wished that Rose was able to talk about her problems with him. And he wondered if it wasn't all to do with her promise to her family. He worried that she wouldn't feel comfortable talking to him about such personal matters even if she could.

"Hey, Scorpius?" Rose said suddenly. He looked at her attentively, wondering what she was about to admit. "Could you pay attention so I can borrow your notes later?" She asked sheepishly. Surprised and a bit embarrassed, Scorpius turned obediently to the front of the room and listened to the lecture for her.

* * *

With the second task mere hours away, Millie couldn't sleep. She sat on top of her covers in her bed, looking out into the pitch dark room, silence surrounded her except for the steady breathing of her roommates as they slept peacefully. Millie's hair was in disarray, her body shivered with cold sweats. Though she had goosebumps she had stripped down to her underwear and a white tank top, her insides overheating. In a way, she was more nervous than she was before the first task. At least then she didn't know what to expect, didn't know how difficult things would be. Now she knew what the tournament could do, and she knew exactly what would face her when she stepped into the ring tomorrow. And she wasn't prepared for it. She didn't know what exactly she was supposed to do, but she knew that she'd be face to face with a giant. It was a little more than a simple muggle-born could handle. James and Fiona had grown up with stories of giants and trolls and other magical creatures. For Millie, such things had materialized just a few years before. She'd never seen a giant, hadn't even learned much about them until those few weeks ago when they decoded her clue. Millie's lips trembled.

This task was going to, literally, eat her alive.

* * *

**Sorry this one is kind of short, I was getting excited for the next one.**

**Are you?**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


	25. The Second Task

**JAMES POTTER  
****And The Triwizard Champion**

_**Chapter 25. The Second Task**_

The next day, Millie glared out of bloodshot eyes at Sergei, who lounged against a beam on the other side of the champions' tent. After dreading it for months, the second task had finally caught up with her. She'd spent the better part of the night tossing and turning and being utterly stressed out over it, and now the lack of sleep left her irrational.

Sergei avoided her angry gaze. She chewed on her lip in frustration. Upon realizing that Sergei may have given her a hint regarding the second task, her paranoia had been getting the better of her. Why had Sergei tipped her off? Was he trying to help? Impossible, she decided, Sergei was far too competitive to give her a free hint. Then why? Millie supposed it was possible that he hadn't meant it to be a hint at all, simply an expression. But she doubted it.

"Vhat is vrong vith you?" Sergei finally demanded irately.

"What are you playing at?" Millie responded, too exhausted to be her level-headed self. Adrien, who was sitting on a stool in the middle of the tent, looked up, eyes wide and concerned.

"I don't know vhat you are talking about." Sergei waved her off.

"A cutting ede to it?" Millie reminded him shrilly, "What was that all about? Why did you try to help me?"

"I didn't. Stop acting crazy."

"You did!" Millie marched forward and planted her hands on her hips. Sergei, becoming irritated, stepped forward too. The two were stand toe-to-toe, faces red and they continued to loudly disagree with each other.

"Do you haff a problem?" Sergei asked, puffing his chest out. He noticed the dark bags under Millie's eyes and how pale she was.

"You! _You're_ my problem! Stop messing with me!"

"Vhy vould I haff given you a hint? Giff me vun reason." Sergei challenged. Millie searched frantically for a response, but couldn't find a reasonable answer.

"I don't need to explain myself to you." She finally replied haughtily.

"Then neither do I." Sergei's eyes were as hard and cold as ice. Adrien rose from his stool and stepped in between the other champions. He placed one hand on Sergei's chest and the other on Millie's shoulder. He didn't say anything, he just calmly looked at them with an expression that said, _cool it_. Sergei and Millie continued their stare-off for another moment, the Sergei huffed and stomped back to his place on the other side of the tent. Adrien tightened his grip on Millie's shoulder. Millie looked up into his worried face and sighed.

"I'm fine." She answered his silent question, "I'm just so tired." The french boy nodded and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before letting her go. Sergei glared at the pair from across the tent. No sooner had Adrien taken his seat again than Carmello Vivet swooped in, the three headmasters in tow. The headmasters stood behind their respective champions as Vivet, ever in a hurry, launched into his speech.

"Now, if you've solved your clue, you know what's waiting out there for you." He waited for them all to nod before continuing. "Giants." He elaborated for the sake of the shocked headmasters, "Outside, there is a giant waiting for you. You will go out there one at a time and face it. Your goal is to make the giant on unconcious before _it_ knocks _you_ out. You have your wands, and there will be a broomstick provided for you. You will be scored on time, individuality, creativity, and how well you avoid injury. The order has been randomly selected and, Sergei, you will go first. Followed by Adrien, then Amelia. We'll send someone for you when it's time. Good luck, all!" Then he rushed off.

"How does he always have somewhere to be?" Millie asked the room at large. No one had an answer.

"How are you feeling?" Professor McGonagall asked as everyone turned away.

"Like I'm about to face a giant." Millie responded flatly. Professor McGonagall put a hand on Millie's arm sympathetically. Then she tilted her head, as though listening to something. Millie listened, too, but couldn't hear anything, and she became unnerved by the small smile playing across the solemn headmistress's face.

"I have something that will cheer you up." The woman said, moving to the edge of the tent, "You have visitors." She tugged one of the tent's flaps open and two little girls tumbled in. The tent quieted as everyone watched Lily and Ella rise to their feet. Lily scuffed her foot as she avoided the Professor's gaze, looking embarrassed. Ella had reverted to her passive mannerisms. "What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to talk to Millie, just for a second." Lily explained, Ella nodded enthusiastically. Professor McGonagall looked first at Professer Strathough, who smiled, then at Professor Loire, who shrugged. Then she returned her attention to the second years in front of her.

"Alright, make it quick." She waved them away. Lily dragged Ella quickly across the tent until they stood before Millie.

"You left before we got to breakfast." Lily stated accusingly, "We didn't get to wish you luck."

"Good luck." Ella agreed.

"Not that you _need_ it, exactly..." The little redhead backtracked quickly.

"Because you're going to do great anyway." Ella clarified.

"We know you can."

"How kind." Millie said with a tired smile, "Thank you."

"Oh," Lily turned to Adrien, "And good luck to you, too. And Justine says that if you get yourself killed, she's never speaking to you again." Adrien's lips pulled up into his half-smile.

"Thanks." He said simply. Lily, Ella, and Millie all froze, having never heard Adrien actually speak before. Lily and Ella were further startled when Professor McGonagall came up behind them.

"Okay, you two. Steady there," She added as Lily and Ella jumped in surprise, "I think it's time you found your seats, wouldn't want to miss anything."

"Yes, ma'am." Lily responded at once. She flung herself at Millie, giving her a tight hug, before grabbing Ella's hand and leaving the tent. Professor McGonagall, Professor Strathough, and Professor Loire followed them.

"They are...enthusiastic." Sergei commented dryly.

"The innocence of children." Millie responded wistfully, her anger already ebbing away. Millie felt a pit of anxiety grow in her stomach as the three champions waited in tense silence as they listened to the crowd file into the stadium. They heard Carmello Vivet's magically magnified voice explain the rules. Since Lily and Ella's appearance, Millie already felt more clear-headed, which she was grateful for. She realized that she longed for the way that the 12-year-olds saw the world. Lily would have never jumped at Sergei's throat, and she was friendly toward the shy Adrien, though she had no reason to be. All too soon, a ministry worker entered the tent and escorted Sergei out. That left Adrien and Millie alone in the tent, watching each other. Hoping that the eye contact would help them hold on to sanity, that it would drown out the sounds of the cheers and gasps from the crowd, Vivet's muffled commentary, and, worst of all, the giant's roars, that waited just beyond the thin tent wall. After what seemed like ages, the ministry worker returned and Adrien followed him out of the tent. Leaving Millie all by herself. She took deep breaths as she tried to ignore the screams from the stadium.

Then another Ministry worker appeared, Adrien's turn had not lasted long. The worker met Millie's gaze and informed her solemnly, "It's time." Millie took a moment to collect herself by removing her outer robe, leaving her standing in the chilly march air with only her shirt, gray sweater, black skirt, and knee-high stockings. She then tightened her grip around her wand, stuck out her chin as Fiona did when she was determined, and stepped out of the tent.

The Quidditch Pitch looked very different from before. For one thing, it seemed bigger, the stands stretched farther into the distance. Instead of grass or even snow or slush, the ground was covered with packed dirt and long, sharp boulders. On the opposite side of the pitch there was a gigantic, two-story, brass clock that looked like an oversized pocket watch. It had two ornately decorated hands, one for minutes and one for seconds, that were both currently facing the 12 numeral. And, of course, there was a giant waiting about 200 yards from where Millie currently stood. The giant towered over her, an intimidating 25 feet tall. Its skin was tough and wrinkled like elephant skin, sickly gray in color. Its log-sized fingers gripped a wooden club that was easily twice as big as Millie was. Its teeth were gaped and yellowed, his eyes beady and black, and his ears stuck out from his blad head much like wings would. Millie froze, awed, having never seen a giant before. She'd spent hours trying to anticipate this moment, learning what to expect. One thing Millie wasn't expecting, however, was the _smell_. Millie's nose was bombarded with the overwhelming stench of body odor, rotten food, and dried blood. She shook her head to clear it of these unpleasant sensations. There was the provided broomstick somewhat to her left, though it looked old and she wouldn't want to trust it. Just as well, because she was no good at flying anyway.

"Your Hogwarts Champion, Amelia Keen!" Vivet boomed. The crowd cheered wildly. "Remember, you have to knock the giant out before he takes you out of the game. Your time starts...now!" With a loud mechanical grinding noise, the giant clocked was spurred into life, the second hand moving choppily around the clock face, with the intimidating _tick, tick, tick_ echoing among the rocks. For 30 long seconds, Millie stared up at the giant, completely unsure of what to do. The giant, in turn, growled with bloodthirsty frustration and stepped forward. For the first time, Millie noticed the chains attached to the giant's legs. Long enough to have control of the pitch, but he wouldn't be able to escape.

Millie scampered closer to the giant, taking cover behind one of the boulders. When she was close enough, she leaned out from behind the rock and said, "_Stupefy_!" A jet of red light flew from Millie's wand to the giant's lower chest. He looked down at it quizzically, but wasn't further bothered. Millie took a couple of deep breaths, she'd have to get closer, and out in the open, she couldn't aim properly when squatting behind a rock. Steeling herself, she darted out of her hiding space and ducked behind another boulder that was significantly closer to the giant. Millie then heaved herself up on top of the rock and stood, legs quaking, openly facing the monster.

"_Stupefy_!" She tried again. This time the jinx hit him the the shoulder, but his thick skin seemed to simply absorb it. The giant measured his opponent up with is cold, dark eyes. Then, in a surprisingly quick movement for something so big, he raised his club-bearing arm and swung downwards. Millie jumped to the right just in time, the club connected with a loud _crack!_ The force sent Millie sprawling on the ground. Looking up, she saw that the boulder had cracked in several places on impact and was appalled, that could have been her skull! She crawled behind another boulder and squeezed her eyes shut.

Instantly, the common room appeared. James and Fiona sat together on the couch in front of the fireplace, the small table in front of them laden with books and broken quills. On top of the stacks of books was a cover that Millie recognized, she'd read that book in preparation for the task. Fiona picked up the book in question and held it up for Millie to see.

"The skin is thick and almost impervious to magic. It takes a strong spell to subdue a giant. And you _certainly_ won't do any damage from so far away." Fiona informed her dryly.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Millie asked, irritated.

"Get closer." Fiona answered simply.

"How?" The Champion demanded. She couldn't help but wonder why James was there. If this was her mind, she could choose who she wanted, and James wasn't saying anything. "This is the kind of thing James is good at." She admitted.

"I know," James said, when Millie only glared at him he continued, "I _am_ good at this. And I know what _I_ would do. So go out there and be me." Millie opened her eyes and frowned. Be James? That wasn't the least bit helpful! Still, she pondered this for a moment. What _would_ James do if he were in her place? Obviously, he would go back to the broomstick and use it to get closer. But James was a natural born flyer and a Quidditch player, Millie had no experience beyond the class she took as a first year. Unfortunately, her options were limited. Since jinxing the giant from the ground was proved ineffective, she had to try from the air.

She rose to her feet and sprinted away from the giant, back to the broomstick. She grabbed the handle and mounted it, instantly aware of how cold and uncomfortable it felt between her legs. She kicked off, paying close attention in case the broom was hexed as part of the challenged. The broom wasn't very fast, and it was hard to steer, her knuckles were white as she held onto the broom handle with both hands. She approached the giant and flew past his head, unable to detach her wand hand from the broom. Turning the broom, she resettled herself and leaned forward. This time she went whizzing by him, he lifted his hand and attempted to swat her out of the sky, but she was just out of reach.

On the third try, she pried her wand hand away from the handle and held it aloft. Vivet was shouting something, but she couldn't hear him over the blood pounding in her ears. She flew forward and shot a jinx that hit the giant in the forhead. He recoiled and growled angrily as a welt appeared on his flesh where Millie's spell had hit. Encouraged by this small victory, Millie took another pass, this time she flew a bit closer to his face and landed the curse on his cheek. The giant roared. Millie turned around again and realized that she was closer to the giant's head than she had planned and was now in the danger zone. She clapped both hands to the broom handle and tried to steer away, but the broom responded too late to avoid the oncoming club.

The club hit Millie's side with the force of a battering ram. Millie felt herself fly off the broomstick and was falling horizontally through open space. Until she hit the stadium wall. More accurately, a good way up one of the stadium towers. Without losing any momentum, she hit the wood frame and the air was knocked from her lungs. She ricocheted off the boards and plummeted towards the ground. She threw out her arms to break the fall and felt her left arm crunch beneath her weight as she hit the solid dirt ground. Millie shrieked in pain and rolled onto her back, cradling her left arm and biting her lip to keep from letting out the continuous chain of screams she felt bubbling up in her chest. Meanwhile, the giant had stepped forward and reached down for her. She scrambled to get away but only had enough time to recover her wand (which had fallen out of her hand after hitting the stadium) before he locked his grubby fingers around her legs and started to drag her towards him. In a panic, Millie reached for anything she could, flailing against rocks and their razor sharp edges, but whenever she got a grip on one of them the giant simply yanked her away.

In desperation, Millie raised her arm above her head and quickly brought it down, a sharp jet of air rushed out of her wand and sliced through the sensitive webbing between the giant's forefinger and thumb. The momentum brought the slice down, cutting Millie's skirt in between her legs and leaving a gash in the dirt beneath it. Hot blood poured of of the giant's wound, splattering Millie's clothes, legs, and face. Howling in pain, the giant dropped its prize and Millie rolled to hide behind another boulder. She wiped the hot blood of her eyes and could taste more in her mouth, unable to tell whether it was hers or the giant's. Though her instincts warned her not to while hiding behind a boulder from an angry and dangerous giant, Millie closed her eyes.

James, Fiona, and the common room reappeared.

"You're not doing so well." James said bluntly. Millie didn't have the energy to answer him, even though all she had to do was think the words to him.

"Worse than the first task." Fiona added, "Remember the first task, Millie?"

"I'm trying to forget." Millie replied with much effort.

"Don't." Fiona warned, "The tasks are supposed to teach you things. What did you learn from the first task?" Trying to answer took too much effort, so Millie remained silent.

"Well, you know the rules," James said.

"Go put him to sleep." Fiona finished for him. Millie opened her eyes and she was back in the arena.

She was supposed to use something that she'd learned in the first task to help her with the second. But what? Millie mentally reviewed everything that had happened to her during the first task but came up empty with ways it could help her presently. She then reviewed everything that her mental James and Fiona had just told her. Suddenly, an idea formed. An idea that could end this torture and get her out of there. But she'd need to get the broom again, to get closer. And she was too weak to dodge the giant's attacks. What she needed was a way to distract him. Books and titles flashed before her eyes as she tried to remember everything she had learned about giants. Slowly, she rose to her feet, letting her left arm dangle uselessly as she brandished her wand.

She pointed her wand to a spot not far from the giant's feet and chanted under her breath. Colors and sparks flew out of her wand and collected. The spot that she directed her spell to exploded, shooting a spiral of giant orange, yellow, green, and purple flames into the sky. The giant froze, mesmerized by the fiery pillar. Taking advantage of this distraction, Millie rushed to where the broom had fallen and mounted it again. She wrapped her broken arm around the handle and had to lay down in order to grip it as she held up her wand. She flew in this awkward position higher and higher until she was eye-level with the giant. Running dangerously low on energy, she whispered the incantation. Sparkling fog emanated from her wand and surrounded the giant's head.

His blinking and breathing slowed. His eyelids drooped, though he didn't look away from the column of fire. Millie, seeing the effect on him, backed off and flew to the ground where she eagerly kicked the broom away and stood, watching as the giant leaned one way, then the other. He made a strange noise, like a cross between a sigh and a howl, and he crumpled to the ground, shaking the stadium. Unconscious. Millie took a deep breath and looked at him breathing deeply.

She had survived the second task.

* * *

**There you go, a nice long one. Sorry this took so long, I had it written ages ago but it got deleted because I'm lame and don't back things up.**

**Anyway, pretty please review. I need AT LEAST 2 reviews before I post the next chapter since chapter 24 has received 0 reviews. **

**Hit it**

**l l  
\ V /**

**v**


End file.
